Rapidly improving filly might serve it up to course specialists up in trip

3.15 Beverley
Racing Welfare Supporting Mental Health Awareness Week Handicap (Class 4) | 1m½f | 4yo+, 0-85 | RTV

A tight-knit handicap featuring two course specialists, one of whom carries a 4lb penalty for a last-to-first recent Beverley success.

Zihaam, the horse in question, was recording his sixth win at the track when taking full advantage of a collapse in the pace in the straight last Monday to beat Bit Of A Quirke by two and a half lengths.

That form might not prove reliable – the race appeared to be run at an overly strong pace in a downpour – and many failed to produce their best as a 14-length gap between the third and fourth suggests.

Poet’s Dawn, a three-time Beverley scorer, looks high in the weights following his latest success, so it could pay to focus on bottomweight Midnite Bride, who will be paying her first visit to the Humberside track in search of a four-timer.

Kevin Ryan’s four-year-old is clearly on a sharp upward curve following 7f wins at Catterick, Redcar and Ayr and there seems no obvious reason why she won’t improve again for the step up in trip.

The Redcar victory was achieved on soft ground and, while this represents a stronger class of contest than she has been tackling, she gets in off a nice-looking 8st 13lb.

Kylie Rules, who landed this race two years off a low weight, brought a similarly progressive profile into the contest, and Midnite Bride rates much the likeliest winner.

Humbert, a stablemate of Zihaam, is dropping down the handicap, but all four career wins have been achieved on an all-weather surface.
Race analysis by Richard Birch

What they say

Tim Easterby, trainer of Poet's Dawn and Strongbowe
Poet's Dawn won well there last time and we've been happy with him since. He loves the track and the softer the better for him. Strongbowe has done well since his comeback and also has a good shout.

David Egan, rider of Song Of The Isles
He needs to step up on his comeback run but he ran up a sequence on slow ground last year.

Roger Fell, trainer of Humbert and Zihaam
Humbert likes to make the running so should be suited by the track and goes there with a shout. Zihaam won well there last time when the pace collapsed and he came through beaten horses to win. If they go off too fast again it may well play to his strengths.
Reporting by David Milnes

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