Slates can step up from seasonal reappearance for Skelton

Bronco Billy
2.10 Hereford

Bronco Billy was well beaten at Warwick last time out, but he may well have needed the run following five months off and Jonjo O’Neill’s seven-year-old looks more than good enough to strike in this company.

Rated 112, he is still on the same mark as when scoring at Warwick back in May and, although he has to shoulder 12st here, he should be good enough to carry the weight in this 0-110 contest.

Noel Fehily is back on board, which is a positive as the rider has won from two of his seven rides on Bronco Billy, while it’s also worth noting that Fehily is five from nine at the track (57 per cent strike-rate) since it reopened last season.

Seniority
2.20 Wolverhampton

Seniority found 1m3f at Kempton on his last couple of starts a stretch of stamina and looks well worth supporting over a trip he should find more suitable.

Despite finding the distance too far and suffering some interference early on at Kempton last month, he still managed to find an impressive turn of foot to take up the lead over a furlong from home and just hold on to score.

The trip found him out last time, though, when he again showed a good change of gear to give himself an advantage but was eventually relegated to third in the closing stages.

The drop in trip should see William Haggas’s lightly raced three-year-old in a much better light and, while this will be his first run on Tapeta, it’s worth chancing he handles it.

Away For Slates
2.30 Wetherby

Away For Slates shaped nicely on his reappearance at Lingfield and can step up to score here.

The seven-year-old was improving nicely over hurdles for Keith Dalgleish a couple of seasons ago but was forced to miss last term.

Now with Dan Skelton, he is on the same mark when gaining his last win at Sedgefield back in March 2016.

Last time out, Away For Slates looked like dropping away tamely after racing prominently, but he gained a second wind in the home straight and stayed on into fourth, beaten less than five lengths.

It’s likely he will come on for that run and he can improve Skelton’s already impressive strike-rate at the track, which stands at 33 per cent over the last five seasons.

Star Story
2.50 Wolverhampton

Star Story was a beaten favourite on her handicap debut last time out, but she looks set to put the record straight here.

Ralph Beckett’s filly displayed plenty of potential in maidens and was duly fancied at Newmarket last time, but the race didn’t pan out favourably for her and she finished last in a field of three.

After setting a slow pace, she was badly outpaced and lost her position when the sprint for home began, but she ran on best of all when she finally found her stride and was beaten only a length, giving the impression she would have prevailed had she set a stronger gallop.

Racing off the same mark of 74 here, she should get a faster pace in this bigger field.

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