Dark Red goes in search of his fourth consecutive win with Ryan Moore aboard the saddle in the opening handicap of the Epsom Classic weekend.
Ed Dunlop has got a highly progressive four-year-old on his hands, and there could be more to come despite a 20lb rise for his three victories this campaign.
Favourites have got a horrendous recent record in this race, and if I was going to be tempted in to backing him, in such a competitive handicap, then it would have to be at a bigger price than 5/2. He may drift on the day, so keep on top of any movements in the market as he may be worth a saver.
As always in this race, Mark Johnston is well-represented with Fire Fighting, Master of Finance and SENNOCKIAN STAR set to go to post. All three horses ran in this race last year with only the latter of the trio gaining relief from the handicapper a year on.
The form of Sennockian Star is rather patchy at best, but there’s no doubt the horse can put it together on his day with two wins (when rated 93 and 95 respectively) followed by a runner-up spot behind Mahsoob in the Wolferton Handicap approximately twelve months ago.
He is a C&D winner (on gd-sft, sft) and has fallen a shed-load in the weights. He has been as high as 106 in his career, and was awarded a mark of 100 after his second at Royal Ascot last year. He will race off 90 on Friday – 4lbs below his mark in this race last year – and although he has been well-held at this track in recent starts, we know he does handle it.
His form in his three runs this season is not overly inspiring, albeit his last was run over an unsuitable trip, and he is not necessarily a horse that runs well fresh based on the pure form.
His second race might be a better yardstick to go with which was a 6th place finish to Dark Red by 3.5l with Felix De Vega close behind in a race where he didn’t seem to be a forlorn hope. He enters this race 8lbs and 11lbs respectively better off with those rivals, and he also had three other runners in behind him that day who race here off worse-terms to help his case.
If you assess his form lines from last year, you will note that he also ran horrifically before putting it all together in four consecutive races, so it would be no surprise to see him bounce back given he is a tough old sort and has a decent draw in stall 2 which should allow him to be up with the pace.
If he can put in a similar display to his second start of this season then he should not be far away from the place money on the revised ratings and represents a decent each-way punt.
0.5pt EW Sennockian Star @14/1, 14:35 Epsom Downs (1/4 odds with bet365)
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