There’s a significant gamble underway at Sandown on Wednesday morning. One of Jim Boyle’s runners has been well supported since opening up at 11-1 on Tuesday night. One bookie is standing alone in offering 10-3 and the others are shorter. The Epsom-based trainer is operating at a strike-rate of 25 per cent in the last fortnight which is probably contributing to the price collapse. Wherever the money is coming from, it’ll be fascinating to see the outcome of this massive move. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Meleri is a lightly-raced filly with just six career starts to date. She showed little in three starts in novice company when beaten by a combined distance of 43 lengths. These efforts suggested that handicapping would be her game and so it proved as she hosed up on handicap debut at Newmarket. The filly scored by almost four lengths despite hanging to the right in the final furlong. It’s impossible to knock the form of this win as the second, third, fourth and fifth have all won since.
A 9lb rise in the weights was the justified consequence of that performance. Bumped into a well-handicapped rival over course and distance next time out, and the winner is now 16lb higher. Meleri looks unlikely to meet a similar rival here in this lower grade.
Didn’t quite get home when upped to 1m4f at Newbury last time and just lost out on third at the line. Returning to 1m2f will therefore suit well and she should have more finishing power. The signs look good for Jim Boyle’s charge as both her form and the continuing market support suggest she can return to the winners’ enclosure here.
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