7.30pm Windsor Tips & Betting Preview 12/06/2017

A frankly disappointing five runners for this one mile three and a half furlong handicap worth a pretty decent £7439 to the winner. First Sitting took this last year for Newmarket trainer Chris Wall but as he doesn’t have a runner in 2017 a new name will be engraved on the trophy. Read on for the Sky Bet Best Odds Guaranteed preview and tips.

IN SUMMARY: Gibbs Hill looked the one they all had to beat until he was declated a non-runner and that has presented GAELIC TIGER with an excellent chance of winning again. David O’Meara’s 4-year-old is just 3lbs higher in the weights than when winning at Hamilton 11 days ago and a first-time visor replaces the cheekpieces worn there. They can help to eke out even further improvement and this track should also suit his running style.

1 GIBBS HILL – Has to shoulder top weight here but represents the very much in-form Roger Varian stable and has the added benefit of Andrea Atzeni in the saddle. A four-year-old son of Mastercraftsman, this will be the fastest ground he has ever raced on but on breeding he should handle it as well as any, and with a good win at Wolverhampton first time out followed by a respectable third to Lord Yeats looking a bit one paced but that was on soft ground and if allowed to stride out a little more today he looks to be the one they all have to beat.

2 JACOB CATS – The joint eldest of the quintet at the age of eight and after forty-seven starts, ten of them victorious, his form is there for all to see. He will need a career best to win here off a mark of 93, all be it by only one pound but has never lost with Silvestre de Sousa in the saddle (three from three), and has already scored twice this year over this sort of trip on the Kempton all-weather. Last time out he finished third at the same venue when stepped up in to this class, beaten three and a quarter lengths after being held up out the back, and with the possible lack of early pace here, the race may not be run to suit him for the William Knight stable who have only had the one winner from their last twelve runners.

3 GAELIC TIGER – Another four-year-old, this time in the hands of David O’Meara and to be ridden by James Doyle which is an eye-catching jockey booking. Formerly trained by Mark Johnston for Middleham Park Racing, he was tried in first-time cheekpieces at Hamilton when winning by a neck from My Brother over half a furlong shorter, but is up in class and has another three pounds to carry which cannot help his chances. How he handles this track will be interesting to see but they have put a visor on him for the first time tonight to sharpen him up a little and with his owners saying after his last run that “…He’s going to have a break now and will then go for another race down south”, it comes as a surprise to see him back on the track less than two weeks later.

4 STOCKHILL DIVA – Plenty to find on the form book after his latest start when a twenty-eight length last of four over course and distance behind Sternrubin when raced along at the back before failing to answer his jockey’s urgings and then being eased once all chance had gone. There may well have been something amiss that day, but he still runs off three pounds higher than his last victory seven races ago and looks one of the outsiders here. The Brendan Powell stable are none from five in the last two weeks and others clearly appeal more though he may still pick up a little prize money for his connections today.

5 CROQUEMBOUCHE – The only other eight-year-old in the field but with a course record of two fourth places, two second places and two wins from six starts at Windsor he does seem to save his best for here. He runs off a mark of 84 here and has won off a pound higher all be it in April 2015 (his last victory of eight in total), and although sure to try his very best, the younger generation should have more room for improvement. The Ed de Giles stable are ticking over with a 17% strike rate in the last fortnight but that may not be enough to see this gelding score today.