Tuesday 16 May’s UK racing tips come your way from meetings at Beverley, Chepstow, Wetherby and Sandown.
BEVERLEY
Race 1 – ROWAYEH 7/4
Beverley punters are advised to side with ROWAYEH in this opening maiden fillies’ stakes.
The Owen Burrows-trained three-year-old made a promising return from a six-month absence when third to what could be a Group-race filly in Silver Lady at Newmarket four weeks ago. Rowayeh was keeping on well at the end and should relish the stiff Beverley finish over an extended mile.
CHEPSTOW
Race 6 – TIME’S EYE 5/2
The best bet of the day at Chepstow is TIME’S EYE in this fillies’ handicap. Her head defeat to Karsavina at Newmarket last autumn reads well, while she was caught out by the dip when reappearing on the Rowley Mile last month. She has been handed an opening mark of 79 and could make that count on handicap debut with the potential to rate a good deal higher in time.
WETHERBY
Race 3 – MIDNIGHT FLAME 7/2
MIDNIGHT FLAME is the one to side with in this competitive handicap test at Wetherby.
John Quinn’s filly was well backed on her seasonal bow at Catterick and while favourite backers ultimately had their fingers burnt, she ran well enough from an unfavourable draw to finish fourth. Dropped a couple of pounds with a run under her belt, she can reward those who keep the faith.
SANDOWN
Race 3 – SLIPOFTHEPEN 4/6
SLIPOFTHEPEN could ink his name onto the King and Queen’s Royal Ascot teamsheet when he runs in the Heron Stakes at Sandown.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the royal representative has created a deep impression in two outings so far, bolting up on debut at Kempton last October before returning to the Sunbury track to double his tally in April. That second success brought a Classic bid into calculations for the talented son of Night Of Thunder, but his Clarehaven team have instead decided to take a tried and tested route to Ascot, with the St James’s Palace the colt’s ultimate aim.
They have won this Listed event three times in the last four years, while they were only narrowly denied with another member of the royal string, Reach For The Moon, last year. None of the opposition have shown as much promise as Slipofthepen and the usual order of this contest could be resumed on Tuesday evening.
Race 4 – ARTISTIC STAR 4/1
There looks to be some smart prospects going to post for this novice stakes and the pick of the pack could well be ARTISTIC STAR.
Ralph Beckett’s Galileo colt shaped like an above-average operator when scoring first time out at Nottingham and the form of that contest looks respectable with both the second and third acquitting themselves well since. A
full brother to a Group Three winner in Forbearance, it is interesting that Artistic Star still holds a Derby entry – and while the premier Classic may come too soon, the fact he also has a ticket ready to be stamped for the King Edward VII Stakes suggests he could be a Group-level performer in waiting.
Race 5 – GOD OF FIRE 3/1
Keep a close eye on Stuart Williams’ GOD OF FIRE in the fifth at Sandown as he makes his handicap debut off a mark of 82. This might get tactical and there is every chance that William Buick may have to make the running on BLUE UNIVERSE, who has raced prominently in the past.
If that does happen, God Of Fire could try to sit on his shoulder throughout and, if he can then quicken up as he did to win his maiden in January, he may come out on top. IF NOT NOW ran on late over further in a better race at Haydock but he may get tapped for pace if this turns into a sprint.
