Newcastle - 14:29
Westforth Sadie (Trap 4)
This afternoon, there is a competitive opener at Newcastle (14.29). Westforth Sadie (4) steps back into A3 class after a strong second-place finish behind Droopys Odds On, narrowly missing victory by less than a length despite an early bump. Sadie's impressive early speed helped her dominate an A3 race three starts ago.
Sadie consistently places in the top three, and she is expected to be hard to beat today, particularly if she matches her previous A2 time of 29.08 seconds.
Hes Bizaar (2) is worth noting after securing his first win in the UK for Jimmy Fenwick. Despite being bumped at the opening bend, he powered down the back straight and took the lead off the home turn, winning by over three lengths. Though today's race is tougher, he seems to be finding his form.
Perry Bar - 18:26
Parkers Jon (Trap 4)
Parkers Jon (4) is set to sprint to victory in a D4 at Perry Barr tonight (18.26). He has shown a strong early pace over four bends and has been racing in tougher grades than most of his rivals. He is expected to be hard to beat here.
Although his record over two bends isn't exceptional, he has won three times over the sprint distance and has a great chance to add to his tally tonight. I don't see any early rivals to him, and he might win comfortably.
If there's a potential threat, it could be the young Barnagrane Dream (2), who has only raced over four bends and is trying something new today. She could perform well over the 275m distance.
Yarmouth - 18:26
Maori Man (Trap 5)
Maori Man (5) competes in the A1 grade at Yarmouth this evening (18.48). Since arriving from Ireland, he has adapted well to the track, winning his first two races in A3 and A2. In his third race, he was narrowly defeated by Trumpers Bobcat, who led most of the race despite Maori Man's persistent challenge.
Maori Man's initial splits in his first two runs were impressive, and he will need to replicate them to have a chance here. Although he is a middle seed in a wide box, his experience racing in outside boxes in Ireland suggests he will handle it well.
Only The Third (3) is aiming for a hat-trick and is consistently quick out of the boxes. He could pose a threat early on, unless Maori Man manages another 5.23-second split. With a 50% strike rate at the track and being lightly raced despite being nearly two and a half years old, there is still more to come from him.
Best Bets
- 14:29 NEWCASTLE: WESTFORTH SADIE (Trap 4)
- 18:26 PERRY BARR: PARKERS JON (Trap 4)
- 18:48 YARMOUTH: MAORI MAN (Trap 5)