Having got off the mark with the Paul Cole-trained Stormbound last week, I can bring news of further success with Jack My Boy, who scored last Thursday. Trainer David Evans could hardly have been in better form last month, recording 20 winners at a strike rate of 22%, and Jack My Boy was able to build upon a couple of decent efforts to notch his first win since May of 2010; for all that he hasn't always been the most resolute he is doing nothing wrong at present and remains with plenty of handicapping scope, having been put up just 2 lb for his win, a point he may be able to prove in the 15:10 at Lingfield on Saturday.
Later that same day we were brought back to Earth with a bit of a bump, as both Lady Mango and Alaskan Bullet failed to fire. The first mentioned was most disappointing, finishing only seventh after fading markedly in the straight, but it is worth noting that she made rapid headway at around halfway, racing rather wide, and that she also reportedly lost a left-fore shoe during the contest. Bearing all of that in mind she is given benefit of the doubt for now, although another abject performance will see her swiftly removed from the list.
In truth I'm not really sure what to do with Alaskan Bullet, as everything looked to be in his favour last Thursday but he blew a good opportunity with a tardy start and by running something of a moody race. There is every chance that, granted a similar race with plenty of pace, he could hit the mark but he looked a touch half-hearted towards the finish last time and, on balance, he strikes as one to leave alone for all that we only added him last week.
It is worth taking another look at Lady Mango's race, as the one that finished fourth will be the first new addition to our list. John Coffey has often come in for strong market support in his races but is yet to get off the mark having taken to the track 11 times, however that could be about to changed judged on his latest effort. In first-time blinkers, the Dandy Nicholls-trained four-year-old shaped better than the bare result, forced wide on the home turn having been left with too much to do, and the suspicion is that a step up to seven furlongs could herald the shedding of his maiden tag.
We now move on to last Saturday's action, and our next two selections finished second and third in the same race at Lingfield. Haadeeth achieved the greater placing that day, edging out Aqua Ardens for second by half a length, and although he is on a fairly lengthy losing run he is now 17 lb below as a result of that and he actually shaped better than the bare result last time, deserving of extra credit for doing best of those that raced close to the strong pace. It is an unfortunate circumstance that he holds an entry in the same races as Jack My Boy at Lingfield but, who knows, we could have our very first, and probably only, Sandstormers exacta!
The aforementioned Aqua Ardens arguably benefitted from being held-up in that contest but, after four months off, he shaped with plenty of encouragement nonetheless, forced to switch a furlong out before running on well. He is very lightly-raced for a five-year-old but is clearly well suited to racing on artificial surfaces, with his best form figures being achieved at Southwell and Lingfield, and he looks one to keep on side in the coming weeks.
The final one to add to the list is Sans Loi, who has joined the yard of Brian Ellison having previously being trained by Alan McCabe. The four-year-old's early career is interesting, having won a Nottingham maiden by five lengths before being pitched into Group 2 company just a week later in the Norfolk Stakes, where his inexperience showed. He hasn't really gone on as expected since then, failing to build upon a promising seasonal reappearance at Newmarket last season, but he showed enough encouragement on his all-weather debut at Southwell on Tuesday to suggest that switch in surfaces, and in yards, could bring about a return to his best with him likely to be sharper for that outing wherever he turns up next.
With Jack My Boy and Haadeeth holding upcoming entries there is the distinct possibility of further success this week, with three more of our already highlighted horses also engaged. Haywain was added with the intention of him developing into a "Southwell specialist", but he seems likely to run at Wolverhampton tomorrow (Thursday), although he is also entered on the fibresand on Sunday. The four-year-old looks to face a stiff task tomorrow, with the drop to seven furlongs not an obvious move for all that there is the potential for a strong pace.
Also scheduled to run on the Wolverhampton card is the Richard Fahey-trained Tanghan, who will be making his handicap debut under jockey David Nolan. It is a competitive affair but Tanghan could well follow up his win at Lingfield last month as he is one of the least exposed in the field and doesn't seem to have been too harshly dealt with in being granted an opening mark of 77.
The final one to mention is Fire In Babylon, who is engaged in the 13:25 at Lingfield on Saturday. It is interesting that his new yard, whom he has been with for just two outings, have decided to enter him at that track given that he has done the majority of his all-weather racing at Kempton but he figures prominently on the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and could find things falling his way were he granted a decent pace to aim at.
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