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Timeform Daily View | Friday preview and tips
Andrew Asquith of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Friday.
Three points of interest
Derham hottest trainer around
On Timeform’s scale, there isn’t a more in-form National Hunt trainer around at present than Harry Derham, and he has two runners at Uttoxeter on Friday.
The first of those is Sonification, who goes in the two-mile novices’ hurdle (13:35) which opens the card. He ran to a fairly useful level when making a winning start in a bumper at Chepstow in April 2022, and he did so in the style of a good prospect.
He wasn’t seen until six months later, though, and was easy to back switched to hurdles for the first time, but he did shape with some promise, a little too keen in the early stages and not quite getting home as a result. Sonification clearly hasn’t been the easiest to train, but he has since joined a yard that has a very good record with new recruits and could hardly be in better form, so he looks very interesting on his belated return.
Dargiannini is Derham’s other runner and he has improved since moving to the yard. He didn’t quite kick on as expected for Paul Nicholls but made a positive start for this yard, winning three of his five starts in this sphere, the latest by 11 lengths at Kempton in November last year. The handicapper has raised him 6lb for that effort but he may yet have even more to offer and he generally goes well when fresh.
Note Irish raider who revels in the mud
Haydock passed a precautionary inspection on Thursday afternoon, so conditions for their card on Friday are set to be very testing, and that will suit the John Nallen-trained Mercurial down to the ground in the six-furlong handicap (16:05).
He is a horse who goes particularly well in heavy ground, his last win coming over this trip in similar conditions at the Curragh in April, and he has held his form very well since.
In fact, he ran a career best when beaten a neck over an extended seven furlongs at Roscommon on Monday, travelling smoothly up with the pace and produced to lead inside the final furlong only to be collared on the line.
The drop back to six furlongs will suit him well given how he cuts through the mud and, provided this doesn’t come too soon, he may prove a tough nut to crack.
Lyons has excellent record in Dundalk nursery
Ger Lyons has won three of the last five renewals of this nursery at Dundalk (18:15), including the last two, so his sole runner in this year’s edition, Zambales, commands maximum respect.
He showed fairly useful form in his first four starts, not at all disgraced in races which have produced useful performers, and he was beaten only a short head on his handicap debut over an extended five furlongs at Navan last time.
Zambales was well supported that day, and arguably would have won with a clear run, getting a gap in the final furlong and only just failing to get up on the line. The return to seven furlongs and both his sire and dam won on their sole start on an artificial surface, so he looks very interesting switched to the all-weather for the first time.
Tip of the Day
Walsingham – 16:45 Redcar
Flags: Horse In Focus, Top Rated
This looks a potential match between Walsingham and Times Edition, but strong preference is for the former, who has made a very encouraging start for these connections.
He was clearly in need of the run when finishing midfield in a similar event to this over seven furlongs at this course last month, and he showed the clear benefit of that outing when a never-nearer third in a competitive handicap at Pontefract last time.
Walsingham went like the best horse at the weights that day, benefiting from the step back up to a mile, but undone by being ridden more patiently than the two who finished in front of him. That run is entitled to bring him forward again and, in what doesn’t look the strongest race of its type, he is a confident selection to give weight and a beating to three-year-old filly Times Edition.
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