Windsor preview: Ocean Applause weighted to strike

Ocean Applause can take advantage of a drop in the weights to land the 1m 2f handicap on today’s six-race card at Windsor now eased in grade (14.55).

The John Ryan trained gelding is a dual winner at the trip, and was last successful when landing a class 4 contest at Yarmouth 10 months ago when beating Frontline Phantom by 1 1/2 lengths off a mark of 75.

Ocean Applause backed that up with a decent fourth at Newmarket off 81, and also ran well to finish runner-up to Donny Rover in a class 3 affair at Nottingham over 1m 2f.

This five-year-old also wasn’t disgraced in a class 2 contest at Kempton on his penultimate start when beaten just 2 lengths into fifth, and now gets into this lower grade class 4 affair off 76.

That is just 1lb higher than when last successful and gives Ocean Applause major claims from a handicapping perspective on ground which is ideal.

The son of Royal Applause is also entitled to strip much fitter following his recent return to action at Newmarket following 155 days on the sidelines, and with in-form jockey Pat Cosgrave in the saddle looks weighted to take all the beating.

In the 6f handicap (16.05), Dont Have It Then looks decent value to get back to winning ways having been given a big chance by the assessor.

The Willie Musson-trained gelding developed into a useful sort last year, winning four times and showing progressive form on each occasion.

In the last of those, the four-year-old showed a terrific turn of foot to come from off the pace at Kempton to beat Invincible Ridge by a nose in a class 4 contest off a mark of 75 .

Don’t Have It Then went on to finish a solid third in a similar grade at Lingfield off 79, but has since failed to shine in two starts on the turf off marks of 81 and 80.