Windsor Preview: Ogbourne can maintain 100% course record
Windsor Preview: Ogbourne can maintain 100% course record
Published:
Windsor stage their first meeting of the new flat season today, and Ogbourne Downs looks to hold leading claims of making in three-out-of-three at the track in the mile handicap at 3.10. Charlie Hills’ colt has won both his starts over course and distance, and looks nicely weighted on the pick of his form.
He showed a good attitude when making a winning debut last April, digging deep and finding plenty to beat Yeagar by a short-head.
The son of Royal Applause was then clearly wrong when pulled up on his next start at Sandown, but quickly got back on track beating Harry Bosch by 1/2 a length on his handicap debut at this venue off a mark of 79.
He now gets into this just 1lb higher, and that gives him every chance at the weights for a stable that have made a decent start to the season.
The fact that he won first time up last season shows that he a capable of going well fresh, and with underfoot conditions fine a huge run looks on the cards.
His handler also appears to have a live outsider in the following mile handicap at 3.40 in the shape of Dream And Search.
The son of Raven’s Pass shaped with plenty of promise in his first three runs as a juvenile last season, and looks potentially well-treated on his fourth behind Mawfoor at Haydock in a race which has thrown up plenty of winners.
He stayed on strongly from off the pace that day to be beaten 4 3/4 lengths, and the winner went on to finish eighth of 15 to War Command in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finish third of 21 in a valuable sales race at Doncaster.
The runner-up Safety Check is now rated 98 and went on to score three times before finishing fourth in the UAE 2000, while five other horses in the race have also won since.
That gives the form a strong look and suggest that Dream And Search should be capable of going close in this off a mark of 72.
The presence of Frankie Dettori has added a bit of extra sparkle to the card, and the Italian looks to have a great chance aboard Gone With The Wind in the 2.40.
Jeremy Noseda’s colt has won his last two races in good style, showing a nice turn of foot to score with more in hand than the 1 1/2 length winning margin suggests last time out on the polytrack surface at Kempton.
The handicapper has put him up 6lb for that effort, but the son of Dutch Art remains unexposed and looks sure to go close in his hat-trick bid if proving as effective on the turf.
In the 4.40 there has been a significant market move for the David Dennis trained Angus Glens who proved a costly flop on his return to action recently on the all-weather surface at Lingfield.
He was backed in from 7/2 to 7/4 favourite that day, but faded out of contention two from home after travelling well at the head of affairs.
The return to the turf may well see him in a far better light, and he caught the eye on more than one occasion last year in better races than this class 5 contest.
The fact that he has been backed to recoup recent losses suggests that connections feel they have a well-handicapped horse on their hands, and he looks worth another chance in what looks a winnable race.
In the finale at 5.10, Civil War looks to have outstanding claims of landing the spoils for Gary Moore.
The gelding has some decent form to his name when trained in Ireland, finishing a decent sixth of 22 in a warm handicap at the Curragh off a mark of 70 on his final start in that country.
He has run well in four starts over hurdles since joining Moore, and gets into this 1m 4f handicap off a rating of just 66.
That makes him look dangerously well-treated, and with Ryan Moore in the saddle he looks the one they all have to beat.
Selections: 2.10: Magical Roundabout 2.40: Gone With The Wind 3.10: Ogbourne Downs (NAP) 3.40: Dream And Search 4.10: Cannock Chase 4.40: Angus Glens 5.10: Civil War (NB)
