Insight and analysis for the first major sprint handicap of the British Flat turf season

Here it is: the first big sprint handicap of the Flat turf season. 

There will be groans at hearing that. Even as someone who watches a lot of sprint handicaps, I understand the frustration. These races are often side dishes on big cards and on the ITV coverage. If you treat them as such, you are bound to get desensitised. Sprint handicaps are all about fine margins, which by their nature tend to need a bit of finding.

If nothing else, getting to know the regulars in this pool is unlikely to be time wasted. This field contains the winners of last year's Ayr Gold Cup and Silver Cup, the Stewards' Cup and plenty of horses who have been involved in the finish of similar races.

Orazio has been put in as favourite. Again, this will be no surprise to people who follow good sprints. In 2023 he was favourite for the Wokingham and Stewards' Cup and joint-favourite in the Ayr Gold Cup. He did not trouble the winner in any of them, although there were plausible excuses each time. He is race-fit and won this last year, so he is favourite through more than force of habit.

The length of time that cheques like Orazio can take to cash is one of the most frustrating factors in big-field sprint handicaps. And this is an unusually big field for this race. The 20 runners will be spread across the track. That raises the likelihood of extreme draws holding sway. 

In large-field sprints on the Rowley Mile in the first half of the season, there is a weak signal showing that wings draws have better strike-rates. However, this is more than drowned out by such horses being overbet.

Finding the pace is the only way to find value. That is a fraught task at the best of times and especially so here, with what pace there is in the middle. This may be a race to stake modestly and take the chance to spot winners for the many similar opportunities ahead.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

What they say

Steve Brown, assistant to Julie Camacho, trainer of Significantly and Raatea
They're both ready to start back and it'll be nice to get them on grass but we expect they'll come forward from the run. Hopefully they can give us some fun at the big Saturday meetings this year.

Roger Teal, trainer of Chipstead
He’s been in great order through the winter and ran another good race on All-Weather Championships finals day. He’s come out of that in good shape and it'll be interesting to see him back on turf.

Richard Hannon, trainer of Wallop and Dark Thirty
Wallop has had a year off and hopefully can run a nice race back. Dark Thirty was consistent last year and likes fast ground. He'd have an each-way chance on his return to action.

Philip Robinson, racing manager to Salem Rashid Bin Ghadayer, owner of Summerghand
He’s a ten-year-old now, so however he runs is a bonus, but he was a bit unlucky on All-Weather Championships finals day at Newcastle. If the race pans out for him there’s no reason why he can’t run a big race.

Rod Millman, trainer of Just A Spark
She should act on the track as she won on the July course last year. She’s fit from the all-weather, having just been touched off by a well-handicapped one on finals day, and we expect another good run.

Chris Dixon, member of The Horse Watchers 6, owners of Baldomero
We’re happy with him. He came out of his last race at Bath really well and going back up to six furlongs will suit him. It was very testing ground at Bath, which helped him over five furlongs. There may be something better handicapped but we expect him to run his usual race.

Roger Varian, trainer of Al Farabi
He's been in good form on the all-weather and we're looking forward to getting him back on turf, where we think the stiff six furlongs will play to his strengths.

Clive Cox, trainer of Katey Kontent
We’ve always liked her and she’s done well over the winter. We expect her to run a nice race providing the draw in stall 20 isn't unhelpful.

Adrian Nicholls, trainer of Abate
I didn’t know if he'd get in but it's happy days and Mia [Nicholls, jockey] takes 5lb off him, which helps. He won at the track last year and should run another good race if the ground stays good.
Reporting by David Milnes

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