6.45pm Windsor Tips & Betting Preview 07/08/2017

Goring took this last year for Eve Johnson-Houghton at odds of 18/1, but will there be another shock winner of this six furlong sprint, or can the market leader win for the first time since Kinglami in 2013? Our full horse by horse race preview plus our selection for the 6.45pm at Windsor Monday evening follows.

IN SUMMARY: Katherine Glenister and BAHAMIAN BOUNTY (Each Way) have struck up a good working relationship and they can win their third race this evening if the four-year-old continues improving as expected. The rest of the field seem closely matched, though Seeking Magic is sure to run a big race despite top-weight.

1 SEEKING MAGIC – A winner last time out for trainer Clive Cox after scoring by a neck from Lexington Times on soft ground over this trip at Nottingham fighting on strongly at the death. He has been put up two pounds for that but that seems fair enough and he has won off much higher marks in his youth, and with the Clive Cox stable ticking over nicely with four winners from the last eighteen runners for a 22% strike rate, he seems likely to get in to the finish under jockey Ryan Tate.

2 LITTLE PALAVER – The second Clive Cox runner, this time with Sam Hitchcott taking the mount for his in-form stable. One win so far this season over course and distance back in April and five wins overall (plus eleven places), but a poor last of eleven to Lightning Charlie last time out at Ascot, fifteen lengths back after weakening two out over this trip for no known reason. Runs off a pound higher than his last win this evening and has his work cut out based on his last run.

3 ASHPAN SAM – Plenty of experience with sixty-one runs on the clock for eight victories and eighteen places, with the latest victory at Epsom over this six furlongs last month. After being put up a hefty six pounds for that he ran well enough in third back at Epsom before a two and a half-length fifth to Confessional over five furlongs at Chester last time out when staying on after failing to get a clear run when needed. Same rating of 87 today which seems to give him a solid each way chance even if the Drinkwater stable are pretty quiet with just the one losing runner in the last fourteen days.

4 ICE AGE – Drops in class this evening after competing unsuccessfully in Class Two events here at Windsor and then at Newmarket in first-time cheekpieces, with a three-quarter length fourth and a two and a half-length seventh to Shanshon last time out. Left on the same rating today, Edward Greatrex has been booked to take three pounds off his back and they seem to have every chance this afternoon in this closely matched renewal.

5 HANDYTALK – One of the in-form options after a very good length and a half win at Bath and an even better short head second at Epsom over seven furlongs off his new mark after being put up five pounds by the handicapper. Another three pounds today does seem pretty harsh and leaves the son of Lilbourne Lad needing a career best to get involved today, but he cannot be ruled out while in this sort of form.

6 CLEAR SPRING – Trainer John Spearing is going through a quiet patch with zero winners from just the five runners in the last fortnight but will be hoping the nine-year-old can break that sequence after a good second to Mont Kiara at Newmarket in a similar race last time out. Although beaten a length and a quarter at the line the front two pulled a couple of lengths clear of the rest of the field, with strongly fancied favourite Firefright back in fifth. Left on the same rating here he may well struggle, but he has won here over course and distance and could yet run into a place.

7 MAJOR PUSEY – A win a second and a third from his last four starts looks good on paper, but he is up in class in comparison to his last run at Newmarket and hasn’t won off a rating this high (83) after twenty-eight starts. Unlikely to be able to suddenly find the necessary improvement at the age of five, and in this class he ought to struggle, though his yard are doing well enough with two winners from their last eight runners for a 25% success rate.

8 BAHAMIAN DOLLAR – Two wins from his last three starts in lower grade over this course and distance and then at Chepstow sandwich a far less impressive eighth at Doncaster, but there is little doubt the David Evan trained four-year-old has an affinity with jockey Katherine Glenister who is good value for her seven pounds claim. He has been put up an added two pounds for his last win but that may not be enough to stop him here, with owners representative Eddie Fremantle saying after his last win that “Bahamian Dollar has had an awful lot of problems but seems to have overcome them. He gets on very well with Katherine Glenister and she has been a catalyst in the horse’s resurgence”. Every chance of another success here.

9 KING OF SPIN –First-time cheekpieces here for the son of Pivotal who has already won this season here over this course and distance and will love any cut in the ground on breeding alone. Last time out he finished a well-beaten fifth of six at Nottingham but he rarely runs a bad race here with a win a second and a fourth from three races, and with the shrewd Richard Hughes deciding a bit of headgear will help him focus his attentions, he may well hit the places at the very least.

10 LETMESTOPYOUTHERE – The second runner trained in Monmouthshire by David Evans, he will be ridden by David Egan who claims five pounds off the horse’s back. His last win was on the Newcastle all-weather track in January, with his last and only turf win on only his second start in April 2016, twenty-two races ago.  He has placed on numerous occasions off ratings as high as he carries here but he will need a little bit more than his recent four length third to Merlin at Haydock if he wants to get involved in the finish here.