Ffos Las preview: Pharmaceutical to gain deserved success

Pharmaceutical has been knocking on the door of late and can gain a deserved success in the 7f handicap on today’s seven-race card at Ffos Las (15.30).

The Charlie Hills trained gelding opened his account at the first time of when landing a 7f contest at Lingfield back in January, and has posted three really solid efforts after returning from a break.

They include a decent fourth to Bartel at Kempton and a third at Haydock over a 1m trip which is arguably too far for the three-year-old.

Pharmaceutical then went down by just 3/4 of a length to Liberty Jack when last seen in action over 7f at Epsom at the beginning of the month, looking the likely winner when quickening into the lead a furlong out before getting headed close home.

The form of that race reads well in the context of this contest, and although now 1lb higher in the weights Pharmaceutical should be more than capable of winning races off his current mark of 77 given his progressive profile.

Another plus is that Hills has his team in terrific form at present, and with Jim Crowley in the saddle this looks a nice opportunity for Pharmaceutical to get back in the winners’ enclosure.

In the 1m 6f handicap (14.30), Ballyglasheen looks potentially thrown-in at the weights. The Evan Williams trained gelding is a useful hurdler who was rated 145 at his peak, and is able to race of a much lower flat mark of just 68.

That makes the five-year-old dangerously well-treated, especially as he remains unexposed on the level after just four starts.

Ballyglasheen also ran very well on his belated return to the flat at Chepstow on his penultimate start when staying on strongly to beaten just a neck over 1m 2f.