Hello to Sailor, a Rosebery winner in waiting?
Back Hasty Sailor @ 5/1 in the 15:30 at Kempton
Life Of Dreams looked rather good yesterday in winning in our first leg for the column, but Private Signal's runner-up effort means in the week we've had a pair of first and seconds in the double quest. Close.
One horse I am particularly looking forward to seeing on Easter Monday is the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Hasty Sailor - and he lines up in the historic Rosebery Handicap over 1m3f.
The 5yo hasn't been seen an awful lot in his career, but what he has achieved so far has been impressive in a handful of starts. A typical late bloomer over a trip for Stoute - as the old cliche goes.
His performance when winning over 1m4f at Wolverhampton was deeply impressive. He smashed Onesmoothoperator by 3L, who recently ran well and placed in the stayers' race on All-Weather Finals Day from 91. Hasty Sailor has gone up to 93, but he wasn't exactly stopping.
For a stayer he travelled nicely off the pace, and despite shooting three or four wide from the turn and a brief moment when he had to be shaken up, his fast action was impressive and his penultimate furlong was the quickest in the field.
A record on the artificial surface of 3-5 labels him as quite an exciting horse, and with pedigree that includes a bit of stamina, Kempton could be the sort of course that suits him if he handles going the other way around.
Astra can reach for the stars in the Snowdrop
Back My Astra @ 15/8 in the 16:05 at Kempton
The stellar Kempton card continues with the Listed Snowdrop for fillies, and with a couple of 100+ rated runners, it's a good renewal. However, I think the pair of Potapova and Roman Mist are beatable, and My Astra gets the nod.
Out of Lope De Vega and a Sea The Stars dam, she won her first two starts as a 3yo by an aggregate of 10L and clocked a decent time winning at Newmarket.
Her final start last term came at Listed level at Saint Cloud. The ground was bottomless, and it would have been a culture shock to encounter such a testing surface for a filly who still looked quite raw.
As a half-sister to My Oberon, a switch to the all-weather shouldn't be a problem as her sire has a 13% win record at Kempton and William Haggas is dropping her down to 1m today with the first-time tongue-tie.
She's a big imposing sort and should justify favouritism.
April single bet winners
They Don't Know 15/2 Placed
Bay Breeze 8/1 Won
Tranquil Night 7/2 Won
Destiny Is All 15/8 Won R4
Hammersmith 7/2 placed
Entropy 11/1 placed
Star Of Lady M 17/2 Won
Boardman 20/1 placed
Drombeg Banner 6/1 Won
Magic Haze placed 9/2
March single bet winners:
Life Of Dream 13/8 Won
Merry Mistress 13/8 Won
Ruby Island 5/2 Won
Bandinelli 11/8 Won
Skontonovski 10/1 Won
Very Excellent 9/1 Won
Banbridge 12/1 Won
Love Envoi 10/1 Won
Lady Alavesa placed 16/1
Merry Secret placed 5/1
Tyche placed 8/1
Gin Coco 9/4 Won
Epsom Faithfull 10/3 Won
Weveallbeencaught 7/2 Won
Red Showgirl placed 9/1