Racing returns to the Roodee on Saturday afternoon with an 8 race card that gets underway at 2:00. This is a competitive card with a mix of maiden races and handicaps, but looking through the data from TPD, we have identified 3 horses who are all running in handicap races for the first time.
Ghaiyya (3:35) was a winner of a Thirsk maiden last time, where she bounced out of the stalls, running the fastest opening furlong in the race in 15.85s to grab the lead under Jason Hart. Once in front, she was able to control the pace and made every yard of the running to win by just over a length. We haven’t had the chance to test that form since, but she ran the fastest penultimate furlong in the race (11.55s) to keep her head in front and she galloped all the way through the line with the best run-out speed figure in the field at 36.62 mph. Her earlier form in Novice company, which includes good runs behind the likes of Falakeyah and Al Wasl Storm would suggest that an opening handicap mark of 77 is very workable. She has run the fastest opening furlong in both her most recent starts and looks likely to be given another prominent ride here. This is the most competitive race that she has run in so far, but her Dam reached a peak rating of 99 for Jeremy Noseda and with her front running style. which definitely suits this course, she should give punters a very good run for their money on her handicap bow.
Cosi Bello (4:10) has won both starts to date on the All-Weather at Chelmsford and Kempton. An opening mark of 93 is not a gift, but he won with any amount in hand under a penalty at Kempton last time where he ran the fastest individual split for each of the final 3-furlongs in the race. On both occasions he has recorded the fastest run-out speed in the field which would suggest that he had more left in the tank had it been needed and he had 2 subsequent winners in behind him 5-weeks ago. The form of the Charlie Fellowes yard is a slight concern, at the time of writing he is 0-17 in the last 14-days, but many of those runners were in competitive races at Royal Ascot last week. He was withdrawn from his intended handicap debut at Sandown a fortnight ago because the ground was considered to be too quick, so any rain would be an obvious plus, but the fact that his connections have chosen to run here instead of taking up his other entry at Newcastle on Saturday would suggest that they think these conditions will suit. At this stage of his career, he fits into the “could be anything” bracket and as such there is every chance that he could prove to be significantly better than this opening mark.
Liberate (5:20) makes her handicap debut in Saturday’s concluding contest. She struggled in her first 2 starts at Newbury and Wolverhampton, but took a big step forward when winning at Goodwood last month on her first try at this distance. The form of that race had already taken a boost when the runner-up (Empress of All) won on her next start at Chelmsford. The pair of them had pulled 3-lengths clear of the rest at the line and although the runner-up did record a higher top speed, Liberate ranked in the top 3 for each of the individual furlong splits over the final half a mile and her relentless galloping nature saw her clear at the furlong pole before she tired in the last 50-yards. James Horton has been amongst the winners in the last few weeks and if you back every 3-year-old filly that he trains, it will return a profit of £20 to a £1 stake. George Wood has ridden her before, so the change of jockey should be no real cause for concern and this looks to be a nice opportunity for this daughter of Study of Man to make her handicap debut.