Brighton preview: Extrasolar can power to success

Extrasolar has shaped as if returning to form and can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the 5f handicap on this afternoon’s eight-race card at Brighton (15.00).

The Amanda Perrett-trained gelding was in good form last summer when landing 5f handicaps at Salisbury and Bath on fast ground, with the last of those successes come off a mark of 84 when beating Monumental Man by 3/4 of a length.

Extrasolar got put up to 88 for that victory, and went on to run a solid race off it when a 1/2 length third at Leicester.

The five-year-old is now able to race off just 77, 7lb lower than when last successful, and that gives him major claims from a handicapping perspective.

Extrasolar is also 1-1 at this venue, and comes into the contest on the back of solid runs at at Sandown and Newmarket in slightly more competitive contests than this.

With Jim Crowley in the saddle, and the stable in good form, the son of Exceed and Excel looks to have everything in his favour to get back into the winners’ enclosure.

Byrd In Hand has a terrific record at the track and can further enhance it with victory in the 1m handicap (16.30).

The John Bridger-trained gelding has notched three of his four career successes at the venue, and two of those have been over this afternoon’s trip.

In the last of those the eight-year-old scored easily by three lengths off a mark of 57.

Byrd In The Hand went on to finish a solid 3/4 of a length third at Windsor off 62, and is now able to race off just 55.

It gives the son of Fasileyev every chance at the weights, and although Byrd In The Hand has not been at his best in three runs this season it would be no surprise to see him bounce back now returned to a track he runs particularly well in a race that lacks any real strength in depth.