This lightly-raced, unexposed, three-year-old gelding (who cost £46,000 a year earlier) looks worth an each way interest in this 12-runner Class 5 handicap. With eye-catching first-time booking Laura Pearson taking a useful 5lb off his back and back on turf, I'm hopeful this well-related sort could yet prove better than his current mark of 70 (Racing Post Rating).
On his seasonal debut, two starts back, BIG THANKS pulled clear of the field with the favourite (Havagomecca) over this trip in a similar Class 5 race at Chester 16 days later. That Haydock run was the selection’s first run on turf, he looked well-suited by it, and his proximity to the winner implies he could be well-handicapped here. He only went down by 1.25 lengths coming back from a 132-day break to finish 2nd of nine to the very good, race-fit, winner and the form looks pretty decent in the context of this race. He has gone up 3lb for it but runs off the same mark here as when running another good effort on the All-Weather. There, in a higher class than this eight days ago, he finished two lengths 4th of six in a race which wasn’t run to suit (too slow a pace early) and where he was short of room late on.
In this bigger field he should get a pace to aim at and, from his draw in stall seven, hopefully his jockey will take up a nice position in behind the pace before coming with his run to thwart the leaders late on. He should be approaching peak fitness on his third start of the season and with further improvement to come from him, on only his sixth start ever, he is entitled to go close this evening.
It was an impressive performance by this three-year-old filly to win an apprentice handicap over C&D (this course and distance). That was by 3.5 lengths on today's good to firm ground 10 days ago under this evening’s jockey Stefano Cherchi. On that occasion, she quickly took the lead from stall two, making all to win easily and running to a very good RPR of 80 in the process. She escapes a penalty for that victory and is turned out here before her 7lb rise kicks in. She is highly likely to go off as favourite and at the weights, provided she can get close to the lead early from stall 11, she could be a serious danger to all.
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