Bath Preview: Speed Hawk can swoop to success

Speed Hawk has some strong form in the book and can make the most of a drop in class to get back to winning ways in the feature sprint handicap at Bath today (3.15).

The Robert Cowell trained colt ran really when finishing second of 10 to Extortionist in a class 2 contest at Newmarket on his penultimate start, showing plenty of pace to chase the leaders and staying on well to be beaten just 1 1/2 lengths.

The winner has since gone on to land a Group 3 contest at Sandown, and Peterkin, Royal Seal and Deeds Not Words – who finished fourth, fifth and sixth – have also come come out an won since to give the form an ultra-solid look.

Speed Hawk was then far from disgraced three days ago when finishing seventh of 18 to Discussiontofollow in a warm class 2 contest at Ascot, running on well to be beaten just over three lengths from an unfavourable draw.

The son of Henny Hughes now gets into this lower grade class 3 affair off the same mark of 93, and that gives the three-year-old outstanding claims of landing the spoils.

In the 5f handicap (4.45), Extrasolar looks capable of defying top-weight now returned to the grade in which he was last successful.

The Amanda Perrett trained gelding landed a class 4 contest at Salisbury in good style two starts back, and then posted a solid effort in class 3 company at Sandown last time out when running on strongly to finish a close-up fifth of 15 to Molly’s Gift off a mark of 85.

The four-year-old now gets into this class 4 contest off 1lb lower, and that gives the son of Exceed And Excel every chance at the weights in a race which should be run to suit.

The other bet that appeals on a competitive card is Spray Tan in the closing 5f handicap (5.15).

The Tony Carroll trained filly is a dual course and distance winner, and the last of those successes came off a mark of 60.

The four-year-old is now running off a career-low rating of 53, and that gives the daughter of Assertive every chance from a handicapping perspective in what is a weak looking class 6 contest.