2.50pm Bath Tips & Preview – myracing Meeting 01/05/2017

IN SUMMARY: Market support for Diable D’Or would be interesting, having showed impressive speed when finishing fourth in the Newbury Super Sprint as a two year old, but our tip for this race is MUTAWAKKED. Jockey Dane O’Neill has an excellent strike rate at Bath and he is likely to make all on Brian Meehan’s runner who has run well fresh previously. His mark of 83 looks reasonable considering his previous form and this is a far easier test than he faced last time out. Sfumato represents powerful connections and should be respected as the main danger.

1 Poet’s Society – This three year old represents powerful connections and has been running well on the All Weather over sprint trips, with three wins from six starts on that surface. He remains a maiden on the turf however despite seven starts, the last of which was in August. This will be his first run since January following a long campaign last year and he is entitled to improve for the experience, although with both owner and trainer having solid strike rates at Bath he must be respected.

2 Evergate – Finishing just behind Poet’s Society in September at Chelmsford, he receives a two pound swing in the weights for a 1.25 length defeat. His winter break has appeared to have freshened him up, finishing second at Wolverhampton two weeks ago, and raised one pound he should be competitive again on going which suits. He was well beaten in two Class 3 handicaps in October and may find things difficult with a number of potentially classy contenders in the field.

3 Mutawakked – Improved for each of his first three starts last year, culminating in a win in a Class 4 Novice event at Newbury in July over six furlongs. He was then very highly trued when finishing down the field in the Weatherbys Hamiton £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes, but he remains open to plenty of improvement yet. He has shown a previous affinity to faster ground and his extra stamina will be useful if attempting to make all again. He has a lengthy break to overcome but he ran well fresh on his two-year-old debut and this is his first step into handicap company off a very fair opening mark. Jockey Dane O’Neill is a positive booking too, with an impressive 19% strike rate at this course in the last five seasons.

4 Sfumato – Trainer Roger Charlton often does well at this course and in this son of Bated Breath he has a promising sprinter in the making. He took four attempts to get off the mark last year but he did so giving weight away all around. He has been gelded since last seen and having looked quirky at times last season that should prove useful, although the hood is retained. Still lightly raced, he has a lengthy absence to overcome and still needs to show he goes well fresh, but must be represented for powerful connections.

5 Juan Horsepower – One of the more exposed horses in the line up with fourteen starts so far, both his wins have come on the All Weather although he has run well in defeat twice on the turf, including at this course. He has yet to run well on Good to Firm ground despite three attempts which is a worry, as his increasing handicap which now sits at 80, four pounds above his highest winning mark. A likely consistent type, he should give his running again if coping with the ground but he is vulnerable to a lesser raced type.

6 Big Lachie – Another likely consistent type, Jamie Osborne’s colt has finished outside the top three just twice in his last eight starts in handicaps. Largely racing off marks in the low to mid 70s, his win at Wolverhampton in November saw him rise to 80. He finished down the field at Southwell on his first attempt at Fibresand on seasonal reappearance two weeks ago, form which can be struck out given the surface, but he will need to progress significantly from his Wolverhampton win given that five pound rise in the weights and he will find things challenging here on faster ground than he has shown his best form on.

7 Dandy Flame – Finished seventh of eight two weeks ago on his first start for Richard Hughes when returning to the track following a three month break. That was a disappointing follow up to his three timer landed in January on the All Weather, but two of those victories came in weak Claiming races when he was sent off as odds on favourite. He showed promise last season but that recent run was a worry given his previous good form on the All Weather and he is best watched for Richard Hughes for now.

8 Diable D’Or – Highly tried as a two year old when fourth in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury at 50/1 and then far from disgraced in a valuable Curragh Tattersalls race over 6.5 furlongs, but has finished well beaten on his two starts since then including on his seasonal reappearance. He had no real excuses that day in similar conditions to those he will face today, although his only win was on Good to Firm going. He showed impressive speed at Newbury in that £235,000 contest but worrying that he failed to show that on his last two starts. Worth watching in the market having been weak last time out and support would be interesting.