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Haggas filly down to minimum trip for her seasonal reapperance
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Previous course and distance winner Lil Guff gets a tentative vote
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Alan Dudman looks at the Bath card on Sunday with a 44/145.00 Sportsbook double
Bath - 15:41: Back First Instinct @ 11/26.50
This week has been a struggle. From Tribal Chief's remarkable second from a hopeless position, to the less than remarkable run of Dain Ma Nut In yesterday, who is probably well named after that. Faylaq ran a pretty good race, though, despite drifting from 14s to 40s, and after that drift I was hoping for next to little, so it has been that kind of week.
Bath's feature 15:41 Listed Lansdown Stakes draws together the younger fillies taking on the older ones and mares and I am opting for the three-year-old First Instinct to get her season up and running for William Haggas.
She looked useful on her first two starts with wins at Nottingham and Haydock in August and September, and the form of her Haydock win was sound in beating Richard Fahey's young filly Stormy Impact. In a race for Sunday where the ground could be touch-and-go, she has won on both good to soft and good to firm.
Her final run of 2024 saw her pitched into Group 3 company in the Oh So Sharp Stakes, but she didn't give herself a chance of staying the 7f as she was too keen.
The drop back down to 5f will be interesting here as on her Haydock run she was strongest and fastest at the 4f marker clocking 10.50 seconds, and she did take a bit of stoking up.
She's drawn in five with weight in her favour, and Haggas has a good record at Bath with a win rate of 16% and placed 38% from 62 runners.
Back First Instinct in the 15:41 at Bath
Bath - 16:16: Back Lil Guff @ 6/17.00
One of the more competitive handicaps on Sunday is the 5f 16:16 and on the betting, it certainly has an open feel to it with Tan Rapido at 4/15.00 as the favourite.
Lil Guff is a track winner and won't mind good or good to firm conditions and the tentative nod goes to her despite running off top weight.
She ran well at Sandown twice last term (including a win) and looked ahead of her mark of 78 in one of the victories as she travelled so well and overcome a lot of trouble to score.
Her stable are a bit quiet and appear on the cold list without a winner from 17, and the worry could be she might need this first outing of the season, but she started 2024 from a mark of 86 and she begins her new season from a 5lb lower mark.
Back Lil Guff in the 16:16 at Bath
Back Sunday's double at Bath in one click
March winners at BSP:
Collusion 2.99
Lady Manzor 10.29
Mayo County 6.4
Puturhandstogether 13.71
Resplendent Grey (place) 3.41
Stumptown 4.07
Jordans (place) 3.30
Below The Radar (place) 3.7
Westmorian 3.46
Reginald Charles 2.04
Old Cowboy (place) 3.17
Green Team 3.23
Ash Wednesday 3.95
Midnightattheoasis 5.00
Kitaro Kich 11.73
City Of Delight 11.5
April winners at BSP:
Seo Linn 3.3
Push The Button (place) 4.53
Happygolucky (place) 2.31
Iroko (place) 2.87
Bubble Gum 2.81
Billy McGarry 6.08
Moon Over Miami 3.05
Persica 4.19