Today’s best bet, by Chris Cook
Racing’s ruling body takes its share of stick but they deserve plenty of praise for the foresight shown in today’s fixture list. As Ireland and the west of Britain batten down the hatches against the approach of an ex-hurricane, all three racecards will be in the east, including one at our most easterly track.
I’m very surprised to see 5-1 at Musselburgh about Sexy Legs (4.55), a horse whose maiden win at Newcastle suggests to me she’s made a real improvement for switching stables. This is to be expected; she’s gone from Lucinda Egerton, who does all right with her jumpers but has never trained a Flat winner, to Rebecca Menzies, who has been bustling along at a 14% clip since moving into John Wade’s old yard a year ago.
A half-sister to Echo Of Lightning, who chased home Shady McCoy at York on Saturday, Sexy Legs was rated in the mid-80s when with David Wachman in 2014 and 2015. Having finished last on two runs for Egerton, she crashed 27lb down the handicap and, in my submission, is almost certainly still well treated after a 6lb rise for her debut win for Menzies.
That was six furlongs on Tapeta, of course, so seven furlongs on good to soft turf is different but I’m happy to take the chance that she’ll cope. The hood that Menzies fitted might also be helping her.
The ground at Yarmouth will be a lot faster, which should assist Chiswick Bey (4.40), seeking his third win of the year, albeit the most recent was in a seller. Soft ground last time means a line can be put through that defeat and he’s interesting, running off the lowest mark he’s ever had in a handicap. Again, 5-1 is available.
I hardly ever nap debutants but I liked the look of Willie John (2.10) and thought he’d be a backable price. I didn’t expect 9-1, however, and would prefer a bit more market enthusiasm, to be honest. When you’re dealing with unraced Newmarket juveniles, you just have to accept that other people know more than you do about their chance and that usually filters through into the market at some point.
Out of a mare that won two Grade Ones, Willie John is a half-brother to Dreamfield, who showed a good level of form in winning both his starts in October last year and has not been seen since. He comes from the William Haggas yard whose juveniles have been scoring at a 25% rate since the start of September while other stables have been losing their form.
Finally, I fancy a 40-1 potshot at Tawfeer (5.10), who has shown next to nothing in seven starts for James Unett (2/45 this year) but is now with Phil McEntee. The useful claimer Nicola Currie, who had a recent winner for McEntee, is booked and it wouldn’t take much improvement for Tawfeer to get involved in a weak-looking contest.
Tips for all Monday races
Yarmouth
1.40 Fakhoor 2.10 Willie John (nap) 2.40 Progressive Jazz 3.10 Aljezeera 3.40 Four Kingdoms 4.10 Kulgri 4.40 Chiswick Bey (nb) 5.10 Tawfeer 5.40 Lunar Deity
Musselburgh
1.50 Eva Docc 2.20 Mister Showman NR 2.50 Big Tour 3.20 Alpha Delphini 3.50 One Boy 4.20 Gabrial The Tiger 4.55 Sexy Legs 5.25 Tawseef
Windsor
2.00 La Belle Mayson 2.30 Garrick 3.00 Convinced NR 3.30 Sandy Shores 4.00 Zeelander 4.30 Abiento 5.00 Dash Of Spice NR 5.30 Ciaodiosimdone
