4.05pm Yarmouth Tips & Betting Preview 27/08/2017

A very valuable mile and a quarter handicap for a Sunday, with over £14,000 to the winner and a decent looking field assembled. Just the ten pounds cover them from top to bottom so it should be a tightly fought contest on paper at least, but why not read on for our race preview ahead of the 4.05pm from Yarmouth on Sunday.

IN SUMMARY: In an interesting contest is looks as if ANOTHER ECLIPSE stands out from bottom weight for David Simcock with the better going this afternoon expected to see him get back to winning ways after a good second on unsuitable ground at Doncaster last time out. Mafaaheem looks his biggest danger if he can improve again for in-form trainer Owen Burrows.

1 SHABBAH – Although the Sir Michael Stoute horses are running well with eleven wins in the last two weeks and a 26% strike rate but even he may struggle to get a win with Shabbah here after 339 days off the track since finishing a well beaten fourth to Memorial Day over this trip at Pontefract last September. He did win first time out last season so all is not lost but it seems fair to assume he has had his issues to be off track this long and a watching brief seems sensible for now.

2 AFONSO DE SOUSA – Four wins from thirty-one races so far for the son of Henrythenavigator who seems unlikely to be getting any better at the age of seven. Entitled to have needed his first run in six months over an inadequate mile at Windsor when fourth last time out and should do better now and stays further but Michael Appleby’s horses can never be ignored in handicaps and he could challenge for the places today.

3 MAFAAHEEM – Trainer Owen Burrows is in fine form of late with four winners from just the nine runners in the last fourteen days (44%) and a level stakes profit of 21.25 points which is pretty impressive. The son of Shamardal won his maiden by a very easy eleven lengths at Nottingham over this trip last time out, but that was on heavy going where winning margins are often exaggerated. He does look to be the Hamdam Al Maktoum first string on both silks and jockey bookings (Dane O’Neill), but has a bit to prove on this much quicker going off a handicap rating of 91 in this class, though he may well have a lot more improvement to come.

4 LAQAB – He appears to be the Hamdan Al Maktoum second string but does have room for any amount of improvement after just the two runs so far with a second at Chelmsford and a maiden win at Newcastle last October. That form adds up to very little and he makes his turf debut this afternoon after ten months off the track, but he does look the sort to do a lot better this Autumn and perhaps next season and is well worth watching here for future reference for the Roger Varian yard.

5 VETTORI RULES – The rank outsider here for Gay Kelleway at huge odds and no surprise there with all his best form on the all-weather and nothing near it on the turf. Last time out he was sent off a 40/1 chance at Leicester before finishing a twenty-six lengths seventh of nine and as this is two classes higher, even his four pounds drop from the generous handicapper is unlikely to see him come home in front.

6 DAAWY – First-time cheekpieces are added by trainer William Haggas who continues in good form with eight winners in the last two weeks for an 18% strike rate. Unraced at two he won his second race by five lengths over this trip at Ripon in April but has failed to score in two races since with an eight length eighth at Newmarket last time out when sent off favourite and off the same rating now he is hard to fancy unless the headgear has an electric effect.

7 TEODORO – Tom Dascombe’s three-year-old gelding is looking for his hat trick here after two wins at Haydock over this trip but in lesser class than this. An added six pounds from the handicapper must negate his chances today and he will need to improve again but you can never write off a horse in form and he could still challenge for the places.

8 ANOTHER ECLIPSE – One win and three places this season for Newmarket trainer David Simcock with a second to Erik The Red at Doncaster on soft going last time out, with the first two clear of the rest of the field. Up three pounds for that, he can do even better this afternoon on the quicker ground and he looks the one to beat this afternoon.