Elliot David selects five horses to follow on Monday evening across the competitive card at Windsor, including Capote’s Dream for Tom Ward and Sean Levey, who was available at 10/1 earlier.
RAN AMOK
5.18 Download The Raceday Ready App Nursery Handicap (Class 5)
Though not quite living up to his name with a neck victory at Chepstow on June 17, the Hugo Palmer-trained son of Dandy Man did take a sizeable step forward from his debut 5th. This was perhaps thanks in no small part to the addition of a tongue-tie, which is retained for this Nursery bow.
Palmer has enjoyed at the Thames side track in these types of races, particularly in the last 5 years. Seven runners in Nursery Handicaps have resulted in four winners plus an unlucky 2nd; these are evidently races Palmer finds the right contenders for.
He’s enlisted the services of Oisin Murphy, who is in his own private battle with Rossa Ryan for the Windsor jockeys title this season and with his appetite for another overall jockeys championship showing no signs of abating he’ll be hoping to strike again here. Murphy should be able to get a good pull into this with pace angles in Bretton Wood, Spirited Dancer and Countess Ciara drawn around him.
RAHEEN RODE
6.50 Download The Racing App 43 Now Maiden Stakes (Class 5)
There will surely be the temptation for connections to eye up a route into handicaps for this son of Golden Horn. However, he looks to have been found a potentially soft opportunity to break his maiden here, with this looking significantly easier than what he faced at Newbury on May 17.
Favourite Houstonn flattered to deceive on his return on the same card and has since been gelded. Though he has strong form in the book, that more recent failure to run to the same level would seem a concern at such skinny odds. By contrast, Raheen Rode ought to be progressing with each run and goes for the Haggas stable that won this in 2018 & 2020.
Should today not be his day, put him into your tracker as I’d say he’ll be left on a useful opening handicap mark either way. He makes good appeal for a step up to 1m4f and further as the season progresses, with a similar profile to another Haggas trainee in Lordship who plotted a similar path in 2023.
CAPOTE’S DREAM
7.20 Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap (Class 4)
With a solid draw in the middle, strong course form and seemingly no ground concerns, I think Tom Ward’s seven-year-old makes plenty of each-way appeal now returning to Windsor from a mark of 75. That mark is now 5lb below the 80 off which he finished 2nd here in April and 2lb below his last course and distance winning mark. With plenty of pace on either side of his stalls position, this could set up favourably for him if he gets the breaks.
It was this time last season he sparked back in to life, coinciding with a headgear change. A solid run in July was followed up with a runner-up finish at Glorious Goodwood and a valuable Racing League win over course and distance. He may well have been set up for that competition once more but he’s off too tempting a mark to overlook today.
SEEK AND DESTROY
7.50 British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap (Class 4)
I love the look of Ralph Beckett’s Sea The Stars filly here following her recent course and distance win. Not only does her form stack up but she’s bred in the purple as a half-sister to three smart winners and should improve on an opening rating of 79.
You’d have to be a big fan of her narrow defeat at the hands of Simon and Ed Crisford’s colt Trouville, which came before that hugely likeable win here on July 1, and with a field of five rivals that mostly arrive here with something to prove she looks a solid and worthy favourite.
George Scott runs Caballlo De Mar in the penultimate race
CABALLO DE MAR
8.20 Download The Fitzdares App Now Handicap (Class 6)
We’ve seen this blueprint from George Scott and these colours before, with the likes of Prydwen, Captain Kane & Baroque Buoy all following a similar path to the winners’ enclosure. That comprises three quiet runs in qualifying races before finding their feet in handicap company. Prydwen flew the flag, improving from his initial rating of 69 all the way up to his current 108. Captain Kane rose from 48 to a high of 88 and more recently Baroque Buoy has begun his ascent.
The handicapper hasn’t taken too many chances with a rating of 65 but this step up to 10f could be a key catalyst for improvement as the second foal of a mare who comes from a stout Aga Khan family laden with stamina.
Of course, this is a somewhat speculative inclusion given the form in the book. In truth this looks a fascinating race with plenty of pace angles, course form and recent form in the book. Hot favourite Golden Phase is hugely respected having met trouble when making her run at Newbury and arrives in by far the best form. A slight drop in trip won’t inconvenience her provided the pace is as strong as forecast.
Watch the action from Windsor live on Sky Sports Racing