Timeform Daily View | Monday preview and tips
By Tony McFadden
17:40 · SUN September 22, 2024
We provide an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Monday.
Three points of interest
Worth noting Varian's runners at Hamilton
Roger Varian is understandably a relatively infrequent visitor to Hamilton given the lengthy journey from his Newmarket yard. However, a record of 11 winners from 24 runners, at a strike rate of nearly 46%, since the start of 2019 shows that the long trip has often been worthwhile.
Varian has only one runner at Hamilton on Monday: Spectacular Style in the mile-and-a-half handicap (15:33).
Spectacular Style failed to beat a rival home on his seasonal reappearance at Haydock last month but offered a bit more encouragement when fourth at Sandown a few weeks ago, leaving the impression that he's not one to write off from a sliding mark.
He also shaped like he would benefit from stepping back up to a mile and a half, so this looks like a suitable test over the same course and distance he won a weak novice last season.
Drop The Dip bidding to enhance perfect Listowel record
Drop The Dip was successful in this mile handicap (14:00) at Listowel last year and she is bidding to make it three from three over the course and distance after also winning at the track's meeting in June of last year.
Drop The Dip hasn't been so good this year, but she's not been disgraced in some competitive handicaps of late and a fall in the weights means that she is now only 4 lb higher than when a dominant two-and-three-quarter-length winner of this from the reopposing Wrist Art 12 months ago.
Drop The Dip is now 3 lb lower than the mark she defied at Bellewstown a week after winning at Listowel, so she is potentially well treated if the return to this venue helps her recapture her best form.
Also of note is that Lilikoi will be partnered by leading jump jockey Rachael Blackmore who has three rides on the card. She also partners Weston in the feature mile-and-a-half handicap (16:20) and Desert Friend in the concluding stayers' handicap (17:25).
Dublin a well-bred newcomer at Listowel
It probably doesn't bode especially well for Dublin that he's making his debut as late as September in his three-year-old campaign and is doing so in blinkers, but he certainly boasts an eye-catching pedigree so any market support for the Ballydoyle colt in the mile maiden at Listowel (14:35) could be significant.
Dublin is by a leading sire in Dubawi and out of Irish 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous who hails from one of Coolmore's most successful families. Marvellous' dam You'resothrilling produced eight foals who were all at least placed at Group or Grade 1 level, with four of them winning such events and three of them victorious in classic company. Marvellous' most illustrious sibling is Gleneagles, whose top-level haul included the 2000 Guineas in Britain and Ireland.
You'resothrilling, a sister to the top-class Giant's Causeway, was a smart filly herself and won the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes during a light career on the track.
Mavellous' best foal to date is the listed winner Fort Myers.
Tip of the Day
Blacklion - 19:00 Wolverhampton
Flags: Horse In Focus, Sectional Flag, Top-Rated
Blacklion had been disappointing on his first four starts for George Baker (previously with Jamie Osborne) but he proved a different proposition back on the all-weather here a couple of weeks ago, proving value for more than the winning margin of a neck.
Blacklion raced towards the rear and still had plenty to do turning in, but he stayed on strongly in the straight, clocking a good sectional time as he hit the front close home.
He did well to make up so much ground in a race run at just a fair gallop and a 2 lb rise in the weight underestimates him - he's 3 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings and looks the one to beat, for all he needs to prove his effectiveness over this longer trip.
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