It is a busy few days at our local tracks with three runners at Bath on Wednesday evening and another three at Salisbury on Thursday. The heavy rain has meant that the fields have been decimated by non-runners at Bath and although the ground won’t be ideal for any of our runners, Bath’s inability to water means it takes the rain much better than most tracks and we are hoping that some trainers have overreacted and it won’t be as bad as feared.
BLACKDOWN WARRIOR (5:30) showed plenty of speed on his return at Chepstow over six furlongs and the shorter distance/flatter track should play to his strengths and has no weight on his back with impressive George Wood’s seven pound claim taking him down to eight stone.
AZURE AMOUR (6:00) has won over course and distance at Bath but that was on firm ground and she does prefer a sounder surface but with nine non-runners she really needs to take her chance and will strip fitter for her recent comeback at Kempton.
CONCUR (8:00) was disappointing on his handicap debut at the track but never travelled in behind and will be ridden much more prominently tonight and he has more ability than his current handicap mark suggests.
While the ground doesn’t appear as though it is going to be as soft at Salisbury on Thursday. COMPTON LANE (1:55) is one of our sharpest two-year-olds but was just too green to do himself justice in a competitive contest at Ascot. That run will have brought him on and the company is much weaker so he should run pretty well although he wouldn’t want the ground too soft.
LADY FONTENAIL (4:05) travelled much better at Bath back on turf under Alice over a mile last time so dropping back in trip should suit and she will run better than her handicap mark suggests in a claimer.
It was a positive move for MARCANO (5:40) to see him finish fourth at Bath last time, travelling very well and hitting the front before weakening inside the final fifty yards. He drops back to seven, at the track he won his maiden and with the services of useful apprentice George Wood, he has every chance.
While we go further afield as ISIS BLUE (5:45) heads to Newmarket for his first run on the turf for nearly three years. He just blew the start last time but should benefit from dropping into Class 5 company and he has an each way chance.