Thursday 17th May

rossom

3.00 York

Common Touch 14/1 NAP

Although Mijhaar mite well be too good for this field, I'm definitely willing to take him on. Firstly, the step back to 1m may not suit and although he put in a cracking effort in a Group 2, he was last seen coming 2nd in a handicap off a 6lb lower mark so its certainly feasible that he may not have too much wiggle room off his mark of 102. Resultantly, I'm plumping for Richard Fahey's Common Touch who I think still has the profile of a horse that has not yet finished improving and who looks a very overpriced alternative at 14/1. With only 7 career starts to date, Common Touch has hardly done much wrong winning 3 times and finishing 2nd a further twice. After making a successful debut as a 2 year old, he was slightly disappointing on his 2nd and final 2 YO start in a handicap debut off a mark of 80 when finishing a 2L beaten 4th.

Common Touch really excelled himself as a 3 year old and demonstrated how progressive an animal he was. On the back of a 7 month break, he ran a very good 0.5L beaten 2nd at Beverley off a mark of 80. In the 5 runner field, Common Touch broke well and pulled very hard early on as Paul Hanagan looked for a bit of cover. After about a furlong or so he got this cover and eventually went down narrowly in a tight finish. He lost absolutely nothing in defeat that day, especially given the winner Belle Royale has turned out to be a very progressive animal who rounded off his 3 year old campaign by winning 3 on the trot, the last impressively off a mark of 102 and the 3rd Kingscroft has also won off a 5lb higher mark. Risen 3lb for that effort, Common Touch returned to winning ways when landing a handicap at the course tomorrow over 7f by 1.25L. It was a very likeable effort and Common Touch saw out the trip very well and it was a tenacious and determined effort by Common Touch.

Risen 5lb for this effort to a mark of 88, Common Touch demonstrated his progressive nature when running out a very impressive winner over the same C+D as his win 10 days earlier as he romped home by 3.25L. In the field of 14, he was settled towards the rear and he made some very good progress before pulling right away in the final 150 yards to score in eye catching fashion. That effort demonstrated that the step up to a mile would suit. After this, Common Touch was risen 9lb to a mark of 97 as he attempted to land the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot but you have to ignore that effort. There was a massive bias to the group that raced in high numbers and Common Touch was part of the group that were clearly racing on the slower part of the track. The slightly softer Good to Soft going may also not have been ideal but that is unclear and hopefully it doesn't rain tomorrow or does only very slightly.

Common Touch had his final start last July where he put in a good display to finish a 0.75L beaten 2nd at Goodwood off a mark of 95 - the same mark he races off tomorrow. That day, he was ridden along from a fair way out which is unlike him and he only really got going late on over the 7f trip as he made up a lot of ground late on. On the basis of this effort and his impressive win over the same trip at York, I really think a mile will suit him. Nevertheless, that race was only 0.33 seconds slower than Strong Suit's Group 2 victory the day before (although ground was probably a bit drier for this race) and the form looks good too. The winner Webbow put in a very good 1L beaten 2nd behind the very talented Eton Rifles on his next start whilst the 3rd Smarty Socks has won since off a 2lb higher mark and has put in a very good performance off a mark of 102 as well.

Tomorrow, Common Touch must overcome a 295 day absence if he wants to land this Listed handicap. However, he has a very good record fresh with his narrow 2nd behind the progressive Belle Royale coming on his seasonal reappearance and he also won on debut. He returns tomorrow to York where he has an outstanding record of 3 wins from 4 starts and he clearly absolutely loves it around here. Based on his progressive profile and his effort of the same handicap mark on his last start, I think Common Touch will be a horse rated in the 100s very soon. Freddy Tylicki takes the ride and was successful on his only previous effort on this now 4 year old. He's trainer Richard Fahey's apparent second string in the betting but that is of absolutely no concern to me. I think its also very interesting to note that one of the owners Nick Wrigley used to be the steward at the track and he obviously enjoys having winners here so this has probably been his aim for quite a while. The draw in stall 9 shouldn't be too much of an issue give he can sit off the pace and with both the horses and Richard Fahey's records at the track I'm very, very confident of a huge run from Common Touch tomorrow at a lovely price.

rossom

‎7.40 Gowran Park

Phoebe Van Gelder 12/1

I think this relatively unexposed 5 year old looks a very big price and looks very well handicapped. Although I don't know much about trainer Hilary McLaughlin and her only winner came with this mare a year ago, she only has two horses in training and I'm willing to overlook this. Back as a 3 year old and after 3 runs which got her an initial handicap mark, Phoebe Van Gelder stayed in maidens and on her 5th career start she ran a very good 0.5L beaten 2nd at Fairyhouse over 6f back in September 2010. It was another tenacious effort as she sat just behind the pace and she really got going late on and she certainly shaped if 7f would be her ideal trip. She improved again after this when putting in a very good 2nd over tomorrow's C+D when finishing a 0.75L beaten 2nd with the front 2 drawing nearly 4L clear of the remainder. Once again, she battled all the way to the line and it was a very likeable effort. The form of that race is very strong with the winner now a 94 rated animal and the 3rd is now rated 74 and given her handicap mark today and her sole win to date I think her handicap mark of 61 now is very workable.

Phoebe Van Gelder comes here on the back of 236 day break but she has a fantastic record fresh with her only win to date off a similar break last year off an 8lb higher mark of 69 so on that evidence she looks a very appealing prospect to me. I don't think I've ever seen a race finish have such a blanket finish with the first 12 home separated by less than 1.5L. She showed tremendous battling qualities that day and it was a really tenacious effort over the Curragh's 7f trip. Some of that form looks strong enough with a fair few of the horses that finished close up behind that day winning off the same or higher marks shortly afterwards. To be honest, I was rather surprised that she didn't progress in her further 5 starts last year as she had shown some very decent progressive form towards the end of her 3 year old career. However, she now appears very well handicapped.

Given she likes to race prominently, the draw in stall 5 should be ideal whilst the ground shouldn't be any issue either. She's proven she acts on the track which is a big benefit for me and there are certainly a lot of things I like about her profile. Jockey Willy Lee takes the ride and has rode her for the majority of starts, including her win and 3 placed efforts so its clear the pair get on well together. If she's in the same form as her seasonal reappearance last year, I think she could put up a very bold showing and hopefully she can prove she is very well handicapped by landing this event at a decent price.

rossom

1.30 York

Cocktail Charlie 20/1

Tim Easterby's 4 year old looks a very big price if you discount his reappearance run at Beverley on soft ground that probably didn't suit where he disappointed. Moreover, he should be sharper for that reappearance run. Although winless since his debut, Cocktail Charlie posted some very solid efforts during his 3 year old campaign last year most notably at a 1L beaten York 6f event off a mark of 92, a 2.75L defeat at Newmarket off a mark of 94 and 3 starts ago last August a 2L defeat off a mark of 90 in soft ground over 5f at Catterick. Tomorrow he races off a mark of 85 and looks rather well handicapped, especially on his narrow defeat off a 7lb higher mark in a race where the form looks very strong. If bouncing back to the form he showed last year Time Easterby's charge looks decently drawn in stall 11 and looks rather overpriced in a competitive little heat.

2.00 York

Beatrice Aurore 9/1

I believe John Dunlop's 4 year old looks pretty overpriced at 9s. I too was rather taken with her reappearance behind Questionning and Twice Over and I certainly think she's going to come on a lot for that run. Twice Over is a Group 1 winning performer whilst Questionning has acquitted himself very well in his subsequent Group 2 and Group 3 races and if she was not fully wound up for her this 2L beaten 3rd I think she could be very hard to beat. Winner of a Group 3 in France in the summer and a narrow loser in a Group 1 over in Italy, she's clearly proven in Group Company and I think the step up an extra furlong will clearly help her chances. I also think her returning to face her own sex will definitely help her chances tomorrow as she looks to land her first Group 2. With John Dunlop in ok but not blistering form, Ryan Moore keeping the ride is a big bonus in what represents the trainer's only runner at a track where he has a tremendous 32% strike rate.

rossom

Having a go on 6.25 Newmarket Button Moon 25/1. I think he's on a decent enough handicap mark off 82 with his effort at the track back in September when beaten 1L by Murura reading very well off a mark of 83. Murura is an animal I rate very highly who only found the very progressive Maarek too good on his only subsequent start. Trainer Ian Wood's last runner ran so hopefully his horses are coming into good form and I think the step back to 5f will suit. Not a big bet but worth a play.

MoscowFlyer

Legendary Times finally delivered tonight! Got it at 5's! Lovely stuff!

Thanks to Rossom for bringing the horse to our attention in the first place.

rossom

MoscowFlyer wrote: »

Legendary Times finally delivered tonight! Got it at 5's! Lovely stuff!

Thanks to Rossom for bringing the horse to our attention in the first place.

Forgot he was running. Typical of my day today! Ah well

MoscowFlyer

Ahhh that sucks, sorry. I was in the bookies and a mate of mine told me that it was running, I would have posted it here if I could but it was too late by then.

rossom

MoscowFlyer wrote: »

Ahhh that sucks, sorry. I was in the bookies and a mate of mine told me that it was running, I would have posted it here if I could but it was too late by then.

No worries. Can't win everyday