4.15pm Windsor Tips & Betting Preview 02/07/2017

Just under £12,000 on offer to the winner of this six furlong sprint handicap. Read on for our tip and runner by runner preview for Windsor’s 4.15pm race on Sunday.

IN SUMMARY: STAKE ACCLAIM steps up into Class 2 company following some excellent form of late and he deserves his chance in this. He’s a C&D winner and the step back up in trip to six furlongs should be ideal for him having stayed on well last time out and he should take all the beating today. Dark Shot has been raised another pound following a fifth placed effort in a Listed event last time out and he can give the selection the most to think about.

1 BLAINE – Bounced right back to form on his first run for Brian Barr, winning at Newbury with a little up his sleeve. He was unable to reproduce that on Derby Day from this mark on ground that was drying all the time. He has won on good to firm in the past but tends to enjoy a bit of cut now, so connections will be hoping that the surface doesn’t dry out too much for him.

2 STAKE ACCLAIM – Boasts two wins and two thirds from four starts at this track, bolting clear to win by four lengths on his last visit. He looked slightly flattered at the time as the only horse to stay stands side but he nearly shrugged off a six pound rise at Nottingham last time and showed that run to be no fluke. A further three pounds has been added by the assessor, now stepping into a Class 2 event but that looks fair based on his form and he’s clearly progressing at present. Respected in this.

3 NEW BIDDER – Has a habit of returning to form from nowhere, so his last two runs despite being poor, probably aren’t those on which to judge him. The majority of his better form has come on ground with considerably more cut in than he is likely to encounter here from a mark four pounds above his highest winning one. Has a squeak if the ground doesn’t dry out too much but looks an unlikely winner.

4 KADRIZZI – Struggling to find his form so far in 2017, including in cheekpieces the last three times. A mark of 95 is certainly within his grasp with wins off 96 and 97 already to his credit and he shaped a little better at Goodwood last time. The Dean Ivory yard are scuffling for form at the moment so he is best watched until they show more signs of life.

5 DOUGAN – 0/10 on turf but he came within a head of breaking his duck when last seen at Doncaster. A two pound nudge up the weights puts him back on the mark from where he was well seen off by Stake Acclaim two runs ago, so is going to need improvement from somewhere to make it eleventh time lucky.

6 UPSTAGING – Four time winner in 2017, a seventeen pound higher mark than when the run began didn’t stop a solid runner up effort behind Stake Acclaim last time. As above, the winner was probably blessed by being the only one to stay stands side, so now six pounds better off, he is fully entitled to close that gap up. Whether that will be enough to allow him to score off this mark is debatable but he has an each way chance.

7 LINCOLN – Difficult horse to get right, but is only two pounds above his most recent winning mark at Pontefract last season. He needs plenty of luck to weave his way through from the back, so will be wanting the likes of Ice Age and Stake Acclaim to set quick fractions in front. Well capable of making the frame from this mark on a going day, but those are hard to find.

8 STELLARTA – Won over this course and distance last August from a nine pound lower mark, she is another who needs a strong pace to aim at. Two of her three turf wins have come here but all on genuinely quick ground which she might not get after recent rainfall. Is going to need everything to fall right for her to make the frame.

9 LITTLE PALAVER – Won over this course and distance to kick off his 2017 campaign, but he is another for whom a quicker surface would be ideal. He has won on good to soft, but with five of his six top RPR’s coming on good to firm, it’s clear that decent ground is more to his liking. That Windsor win was off the highest mark he has won off (88) so from three pounds higher, is going to need a little more.

10 DARK SHOT – Both career wins have come at the minimum trip of five furlongs, but has no problems with this six. He flew home in the Dash on Derby day, just failing by a short head to claw back the front running Caspian Prince. He ran a huge race in the Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury over this trip last time out, just shaping as if the stiff six taxed him close home in that Listed contest. He has taken his form to a new level in 2017 and looks the one to beat back on a flat six with more improvement likely to be forthcoming.

11 ISEEMIST – Hasn’t got her head in front since successful at Goodwood in October 2015, but five placed efforts in the interim mean that she is still four pounds higher than that winning mark. She has been placed a couple of times here off lower marks, but she saves her very best for switchback tracks and looks an unlikely winner.

12 SECONDO – Seven year old has had just two runs since January 2015, last successful on turf in July 2013 at Haydock. He has been competitive off higher marks that this in the past but it would take a brave punter to back him in a Class 2 given such little recent evidence of his wellbeing.

13 ICE AGE – Paid the price for going with Stake Acclaim early last time out, leading the field down the middle, fading into third close home. He had previously run second to Blaine at Newbury so has the form lines to be competitive in this race, with Silvestre De Sousa taking over in the saddle. Looks a little high in the weights to be winning in this grade, but he doesn’t know how to run a bad race so should be in the mix for the places.

14 ENGLISHMAN – Twice a winner and a short head second in five career starts at Windsor. The latest of those came from a two pound lower mark in April, but he won from this mark in April 2015, Is just 1/11 when competing above Class 3 so this looks tough enough for a fully exposed seven year old. Also declared at Doncaster on Saturday night.