Horse Racing Tips: Rhys Williams fancies Lock to turn the corner after wind op

Rhys Williams
21 July 2022
2:00 min read

Our racing expert has one selection on Thursday

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

Rhys Williams has analysed Thursday's racing and has a sole selection at Worcester.

"Lock’s Corner has since been given a wind op and now returns after a 107-day break with cheekpieces reapplied."

More encouraging signs on latest start

Worcester 13:00: Lock's Corner 1pt win 6/1

Lock's Corner hasn't finished ahead of a rival in his last ten races but I think he has a chance of bouncing back today on his first start after a wind op.

He won a three-runner 2m1f handicap chase off 140 in May last year before his form took a significant downward turn. It is easy to excuse three of his latest four runs, however, as they were on right-handed tracks and he's shown a liking for jumping out to his left so his jumping suffered and he lost plenty of ground in the process.

His rating was dropped 15lb for those three runs and there was more hope in his latest start at Southwell in April. Even on a left-handed track he still showed a tendency to jump to his left but he was still in touch with the leaders turning the final bend before dropping away, running over a trip that always looked likely to stretch his stamina.

Lock's Corner has since been given a wind op and now returns after a 107-day break with cheekpieces reapplied. The way he travelled for a long way at Southwell suggests he still retains some ability and the drop back in trip and drop into a 0-110 for the first time since he won a handicap hurdle at Chepstow in November 2019 will help his cause.

There is always a chance that a wind op will have no impact and it may be that his jumping will let him down but given the quality that he showed not long ago there's a chance he could be in a different league to his rivals if the wind op has worked and any 5/1 or bigger appeals.