Patience can be rewarded at Redcar
Ed Bethell has been firing in the winners in recent weeks and can add to his tally with the lightly-raced Be Patient in the Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap at Redcar on Sunday.
The St Mark’s Basilica colt showed a good level of ability when third on his Newcastle debut in early October and confirmed that promise when opening his account at the second time of asking on his return to Gosforth Park a month later.
He was not sighted during the spring and early summer, but picked up where he left off on his return from eight months out of action, making a winning handicap and turf debut at Doncaster little over a fortnight ago.
The ease of that success off a mark of 79 suggested he is more than capable of defying a 6lb rise in the weights as he looks to follow up.
Rajapour is clearly not the force he once was, but he has dropped to a very workable mark ahead of the Sky Bet For The Fans Handicap.
The six-year-old was rated as high as 91 at the peak of his powers, but lines up in this race off an all-time low figure of 71 following a lean spell.
That being said, he has not been beaten that far in any of recent races and he is just the sort of horse who needs things to drop right on the day.
If he can get a decent pace to aim at, he is certainly still capable of winning a minor heat such as this for David O’Meara.
Muskerry Rock can make it two wins in a week at Newton Abbot in the Zero To Exit Handicap Hurdle.
Bought for just £17,000 by champion trainer Dan Skelton to bolster his summer string, the seven-year-old was narrowly beaten in his first couple of races for new connections before making it third time lucky in a handicap chase here on Monday.
He reverts the smaller obstacles off a 10lb lower a mark and is difficult to oppose.
Jumping fare also comes from Stratford, where Stellarmasterpiece is on a hat-trick for Micky Hammond.
Fit from a spell on the Flat, the grey won off 71 here in May and made it back-to-back course wins off 77 in June.
She is up another 8lb for her latest assignment in the Dave Shrader Novices’ Limited Handicap Hurdle, but with champion jockey Sean Bowen again in the saddle she will not lack for assistance.
It is day two of the Irish Oaks meeting at the Curragh, where Big Gossey looks to continue his love affair with the track in the Glenroyal Hotel And Shoda Cafe Minstrel Stakes.
Charles O’Brien’s stable stalwart claimed his 10th win at the home of Irish Flat racing in a Listed race three weeks ago and while he has not yet won at Group-race level, this looks a good opportunity for him to do so. – Press Association
SELECTIONS:
CURRAGH: Race 1 – 14.40 Bold Commander, Race 2 – 15.10 Mathoura, Race 3 – 15.40 Ibelieveicanfly, Race 4 – 16.15 Big Gossey, Race 5 – 16.50 Mallavelly, Race 6 – 17.25 Al Riffa, Race 7 – 18.00 Tradewinds, Race 8 – 18.30 Abbotsford.
NEWTON ABBOT: Race 1 – 15.30 High Aura, Race 2 – 16.05 Diamond White, Race 3 – 16.40 Senor Diaz, Race 4 – 17.15 Makinbecon, Race 5 – 17.50 Muskerry Rock, Race 6 – 18.22 Edgewell.
REDCAR: Race 1 – 14.53 Hey Up Ronnie, Race 2 – 15.23 Derrygarran Lad, Race 3 – 15.58 Lillistar, Race 4 – 16.33 Rajapour, Race 5 – 17.08 BE PATIENT (NAP), Race 6 – 17.43 Secret Testimony, Race 7 – 18.17 Off Spin.
STRATFORD: Race 1 – 14.45 Obsessedwithyou, Race 2 – 15.15 Duel Au Soleil, Race 3 – 15.48 Stellarmasterpiece, Race 4 – 16.23 Lion Of The Desert, Race 5 – 16.58 Breaking Cover, Race 6 – 17.33 Luna Run, Race 7 – 18.08 Roarin’ Success.