5.30pm Yarmouth Tips & Betting Preview 02/05/2017

Eight go to post as the sun sets on another day’s racing at Yarmouth, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: The free going WAHIBA ran well for a very long way before weakening inside the final furlong on her latest start and should relish this drop down to the seven furlong trip on her third handicap start. She’s likely to take this race by the scruff of the neck out of stall three and the fact that Andrea Atenzi is up first time could well be a warning better is expected this time, with a drop of 2lb in the weights very handy. She can run them ragged and beat The Yellow Bus into second who should be happier back on turf.

1 THE YELLOW BUS – Lightly raced with only eight runs under her belt and she hasn’t been disgraced in two all weather handicaps the last twice for his new yard, staying on well but never able to challenge at Kempton back in March. She is down another pound as a result of the midfield finish and her sole win in Ireland came on the turf, so she may well improve for the switch. Harry Bentley takes the ride and has to be considered.

2 SISTER DUDE – One win from nine runs for Karl Burke with that win gained at soft ground at Ayr on his penultimate start in September. Off today’s mark he was however well beaten at Redcar and does have something to prove for his new trainer Jonathan Portman, as he is entitled to need this run after 182 days off the track. Joesphine Gordon will be giving him a likely brilliant ride and he can’t be completely discounted, but others are higher up the shortlist.

3 FIDELMA MOON – Some good form she built up during the summer started to peter out towards the end of last season and her return didn’t hint to a return to form when well beaten at Beverley two weeks ago, weakening out of things tamely. She did however win on her second run last season and she is entitled to come on for the experience, now 3lb below her last winning mark. Not one to ignore and has live each way claims if leaving that reappearance way behind her.

4 SAHKEE’S JEM – Won here back in August off a 2lb lower mark at the six furlong trip and she finished last season well, coming home in third when last seen at Kempton in November. She hasn’t however been seen for 160 days which is slightly discouraging and she needs more off this mark if she’s to prevail. Definitely entitled to be involved under Ben Curtis but her claims aren’t bulletproof and she can be taken on.

5 FANTASY QUEEN – Won two Chepstow handicaps in the summer for Eve Johnson Houghton and she returned this season with a decent enough third at Kempton off today’s mark. She steps back up in class for this but won in this company last term so that isn’t much of a concern with conditions to suit. Tom Queally takes the ride who is a good jockey booking and she has to be respected as a live danger.

6 WAHIBA – Marco Botti four year old who ran well for a very long way over the mile trip before dropping out into sixth at Chelmsford in March, not beaten far but clearly needing a shorter trip to show her best. She gets that here with a drop back to seven furlongs on her third handicap start and this free going sort should take this race by the scruff of the neck, bursting out of stall three to take the lead and it’ll be catch me if you can from there. She’s been dropped 2lb in the handicap and Andrea Atzeni is up first time, so she doesn’t seem likely to be caught this time and is taken to run them ragged.

7 INDIGO PRINCESS – Ten race maiden who has finished second twice in the winter, though she has been poor on her latest four runs for Michael Appleby. She makes her turf debut after racing only on the all weather and will need to improve massively on her tailed off Wolverhampton run on her latest start, where she went out like a light. Others make far more appeal and she’d be a surprise winner.

8 PRISOM – Has done most of her racing on the all weather and she has been well beaten on both her turf runs, though her form on the all weather isn’t anything to shout about either. She has been well beaten the last twice at both Lingfield and Southwell and will need the return to turf to have a drastic effect if she’s to be going close in this. Hard to make a case for her and others are readily preferred.