4.25pm Leicester Tips & Betting Preview 29/05/2017

The Bank Holiday feature race at Leicester is a six furlong sprint for three year olds. Read on for our experts views and runner by runner guide to the contest.

IN SUMMARY: A tight little sprint where Ejaaby is likely to prove popular with punters but he has a bit to find from the widest draw given his price, Tallulah Rose is very interesting stepped down in class if able to reproduce her best, but the vote goes to the Godolphin owned, PARFAIT. He showed his best form when allowed to dictate last season, held up on his return, he pulled hard over a longer trip and was disappointing. Drawn next to the stands rail, he has the perfect opportunity to bounce out and make all again, tactics that can reap success.

1  TALLULAH ROSE – Highly tried since winning a Bath maiden last season, twice taking in Group 3’s, including on her debut for Karl Burke last time in the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket. She ran better than her final position suggests, fading up the hill in the seventh furlong, suggesting that the step back to this trip will be in her favour. This is a considerable drop in grade and with Clifford Lee removing a further five pounds from her back, she looks well overpriced at about 20/1 on the early shows.

2 SMOKEY LANE – More exposed than the majority of these, nevertheless, he has run well the last twice in deeper races than this at Sandown and Newmarket. Six furlongs would appear to be his right trip, getting outpaced over shorter at Sandown, despite being one of the stiffest five furlongs in the country. He had no luck in running last time, the handicapper relenting his grip by a pound. Looks likely to run his usual honest race but others are open to more improvement.

3 EJAABY – Already has the benefit of experience on this undulating straight course, when runner up over seven furlongs earlier in May, That was a 0-80 contest so he’s pitched into deeper waters, stepping down in trip. His finishing effort looked tame on that occasion so it isn’t a surprise that connections make that move but, despite only having had the four runs and therefore open to more improvement than most, his level of form needs significantly improving on to contend from the worst draw.

4 SAYESSE – Kept busy last season, running fourteen times as a juvenile. He has run well on all three starts in 2017 from this same mark, without ever really looking likely to win. Adaptable with regards to ground, he should be thereabouts, but it would be rather disappointing if this exposed type were able to better the more unexposed runners in this field.

5 PARFAIT – Made all the running to take out a Newbury maiden on good to soft ground last October. He was held up on his 2017 return at Wolverhampton, pulling for his head and never looking overly happy. The return to a stiffer track looks in his favour, as does the return to this trip on a straight course. He has the draw bang on the stands rail here and would be very interesting in running if William Buick reverts to the front running tactics, he won at Newbury with, given the rail to help. If he is allowed his head, he looks capable of winning off this mark and gets the vote.

6 JUAN HORSEPOWER – Kept busy on the all weather over the winter, this will be his eighth run of 2017 already. A three time winner, he finds all surfaces the same but, all three of those wins have come over the minimum five furlong trip and despite the useful high draw, a career high mark over this six furlongs might just find him out.

7 SCOFFLAW – Came back to winning form last time, for the first time since making a successful debut. At first glance, a six pound rise in the handicap for a neck win looks on the harsh side but, he had no cover in that Thirsk race from a wide draw and the effort can be marked up. That win may well have given him the confidence boost he needs to progress now but, that was a class 5 contest so this is considerably deeper and he will certainly need more to score again.

8 SCORCHING HEAT – Twice a winner from five starts, both of them have come with considerably more cut in the ground than he is likely to face here. Trainer, Andrew Balding said after his 2017 return on good to soft, “This is probably his ideal ground.” His sole run on good to firm was over a furlong further, fading late on, on that occasion, recording an RPR that is not among his peak efforts. This is at least his right trip, but it’s a step up in class on ground that look lively enough for him.

9 SFUMATO – Broke his maiden tag over this trip on good to firm ground at Lingfield last August. He wasn’t seen again until this season when well behind Juan Horsepower at Bath. He was well supported in the market beforehand, so it’s likely that better was expected but he only plugged on at one pace once the race was all but over. This slight step up in trip will be better for him but it may be that he will need seven furlongs sooner rather than later, with his dam and both half siblings winners over a mile.

10 SUMNER BEACH – Won on his racecourse debut on the Fibresand at Southwell in April 2016. That would be the only time he would make the track as a juvenile, returning at Haydock on Friday, when finishing stone cold last, beaten out of sight in a six furlong handicap. Connections reach for a tongue tie here so William Buick who rode him at Haydock may have repeated a noise, while such a quick return suggests that there were not any physical ailments. That said, he is hard to support with any confidence on the back of that.

11 ERISSIMUS MAXIMUS – Another who was kept very busy on the all weather over the winter, winning over five furlongs at Newcastle and at Southwell. He has run consistently well in his other efforts but it may be notable that those wins came when fitted with cheek pieces and then blinkers for the first time. He won over six furlongs on good to firm last season at Yarmouth, so conditions hold no fears for him and he ran well in a similar race at Sandown last time, when just in front of Smokey Lane.