Monday racing tips: Five horses to follow from Windsor and Yarmouth on Sky Sports Racing | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing’s Elliot David is back with five horses to follow across the cards at Windsor and Yarmouth on Monday.

Hackman

Windsor (2.15)

Horses towards the top of the handicap continue to dominate Nursery Handicaps in Britain and Ireland, with 104 of 194 (54 per cent) of qualifying races won by a horse in the top three of the weights. ‘Class’ seems to come to the fore in these contests.

Hugo Palmer and Ross Coakley teamed up in this last season with Reward Smile and I fancy they could repeat the trick with Hackman here, who I’d prefer over stablemate Gunfighter despite that horse also being a qualifier.

Following his soft ground Chester win on May 11, it was clear Palmer thought plenty of him, commenting: “Hackman is a very fast horse and still has plenty to learn. We’ll be dreaming of the Norfolk.”

Now, things haven’t quite gone to plan since, but with a recently applied tongue-tie and slight drop in class there’s been definite signs of life.

He could never get into the York sales race won by Dragon Leader having been hampered at the start and it was a similar story back at Chester when last seen as he races towards the rear from a wide draw to finish a never nearer third.

He continues to drop in class, now down to a class 4 for the first time and provided he can break on terms with the field, I think he makes plenty of appeal for last year’s winning combination.

Fenlander

Yarmouth (2.25)

It’s all about possible stars of the future at the Norfolk track and all eyes are going to be drawn to the two penalised winners in Pen Portrait and Cross the Tracks, plus the Gosden and Wathnan Racing-owned debutant Barone here which could leave one going under the radar.

Pam Sly’s Territories gelding Fenlander built on his debut effort when running well for a two-length fifth in a Newmarket maiden on August 11, with the form of the top six home that day working out nicely since.

Sly’s juvenile is the latest offspring of her now 13-year-old mare Specialty and each of this horse’s three elder siblings have shown a liking for a softer surface, putting in many of their best efforts on ground described as soft or heavy.

With Yarmouth’s track currently described as Soft, Heavy in places, Fenlander could make some each-way appeal at current odds around 18/1. If tomorrow isn’t the day for him up against some nicely-bred rivals, keep him in your trackers for handicaps given Sly’s prior success with the family.

Amazonian Dream

Windsor (3.45)

Rod Millman’s four-year-old Amazonian Dream is a well-handicapped horse on his career-high rating of 88 and his last winning mark of 80. Despite not winning, he’s been showing distinct signs of being back in form in recent months and notably when a narrow third at Salisbury on October 5.

Having led a furlong out and remained there approaching the line, he just got chinned by two class-dropping rivals late on but perhaps crucially finished comfortably ahead of the re-opposing Tiriac.

That run seemed to indicate him having ran comfortably above his current mark of 76, something he’s achieved on each of his last three turf starts and he’s clearly not regressing despite not winning. Having not been penalised by the handicapper for it, he’s seemingly got a golden opportunity to land a first win since June 2022.

Exquisitely

Windsor (4.50)

This Zoustar filly has been thriving in three starts since joining Jonathan Portman from Karl Burke but has, as yet, only been able to land one victory. I don’t think that’s been for lack of trying, with her easy heavy ground win on stable debut signalling a horse who both revelled in conditions but was also nicely handicapped.

It should therefore have been no surprise to see her priced up at 4/1 for her Sandown run on September 20 but a slow start resulting from rearing in the stalls all but ended her chances on a speedy track where in-running positioning counts for plenty.

She’ll encounter soft ground again here and with the dominance of her Ffos Las win front and centre in my mind I think she represents some nice each-way value here away from the market principals Foreseeable Future and Antiphon.

Habitual free-going front-runner Pablo Del Pueblo will likely give her a lovely tow into the race as you can usually bet he’ll go faster than any of his rivals in the early stages. Hopefully Exquisitely can pick him off entering the final few furlongs and see it out.

Anticipating

Windsor (5.20)

Though Gary Moore’s four-year-old Asense arrives in the form of her life, seeking a four-timer following a clear-cut soft ground win at Bath on October 2, her 5lb higher mark does present one or two questions in what looks a deeper race.

If there’s a horse in here bred to be better than what she’s currently achieved it’s certainly William Haggas’ Mistress Light, who makes her handicap debut at this basement level but her performances on track have so far left a lot to be desired and hopes are pinned on a real stamina test bringing out some improvement in her.

My eye is drawn to one at a price in David Menuisier’s Anticipating, who returns to the Windsor turf track following a difficult experience at Chelmsford when last seen. David Probert reported the filly had hung right throughout, something you can’t afford to do on a turning left-handed track and if you can forgive that she’s certainly one that could be overpriced.

She cut little ice in her three qualifying runs but showed up nicely on handicap debut over this course and distance, nearest at the finish having raced in rear and softer ground may allow her to showcase her latent stamina.

Menuisier isn’t a stranger to success with the family of dam Kekova, with half-brother Rewired, who went well with cut in the ground, twice victorious for the Pulborough handler back in 2020 and 2021.