Happy Valley Wednesday Picks - 10/02/21

Caspar Fownes has wasted no time in stepping this 5yo up to the middle distances, after catching the eye on a couple of occasions when sprinting and he looks to have benefited from it, having scored well over 1400M before looking an unfortunate loser when attempting 1650M for the first time towards the back end of last month.

He was unable to find an out when travelling sweetly that day, having to work hard to get himself to the front close home and his rider appeared to be blindsided by one who came from way off the pace to get up in the dying strides.

Christophe Soumillon appears to be working up a real partnership with this gelding, so with the partnership still in tact he looks to hold leading claims as he bids to bounce back to winning form in a similar looking contest off only a 2lb higher mark.

Royal Bomb is our Nap of the meeting on Wednesday.

On only his second start for the Benno Yung yard Jolly Good Heart showed much more than his C&D fifth when just pipped close home after failing to make all over 1200m here last month.

He did however shape as if a similar race, off a similar handicap figure was within his grasp (now up just 1lb) as he travelled well out in front that day and was only to be denied by a late finisher from the rear in the closing stages.

His wide drawn is the obvious concern to most in this contest but he has shown good early gate speed in his six career runs to date, where as the forecasted market principal Daily Beauty has been slow away on a number of occasions so his drawn in berth 1 could be more of a hinderance than an added bonus, and potentially the opposite for our selection.

Zac Purton retaining the ride on this very lightly raced runner also indicates another big run could be forthcoming and at an E/W price he looks worth chancing to, at the very minimum, hit the frame.

This selection is advertised as the first of our Each Way Double at Happy Valley on Wednesday.

This Tony Millard 4yo arrives in rude health, having looked an improved model since being upped to 1650m, and the manner of his latest victory over C&D suggests a further 5lbs nudge in the handicap could be on the lenient side as he attempts to retain his 100% strike rate at the trip.

He had to work hard in the earlier stages of his race to find himself a prominent position at the track last month, unable to get himself an uncontested lead until they had gone around the first bend.

His much more favourable draw in gate 4 this time around will ensure he won’t have to exert as much energy which should only aid his cause as he bids to defy his penalty.

Karis Teetan will likely send him to the front again here, and this unexposed type should again prove a tough nut to crack at a generous E/W price.

This selection is advertised as the second of our Each Way Double at Happy Valley on Wednesday.