7:15 – Folkestone – WW ELECTRICAL HANDICAP (CLASS 6) (3yo 0-65) Good To Firm 6f
Eve Johnson Houghton who trains Rum Punch had a winner and a 3rd place from three runners yesterday and the 3 year old bay filly has her ideal conditions to follow up at Folkestone this evening. In what is a very competitive race for a Class 6 three year old handicap, Rum Punch is the only runner who has run at Folkestone before and on such an undulating course, which not all horses take to her course experience could make all of the difference.
Rum Punch has run just 5 times in her career to date and all five runs have come this season. She won her Maiden on her third start and was then given a Handicap mark of 65, which she runs off this evening. She has demonstrated that she can be competitive off this mark as in her last two runs in Handicap races, she has finished 2nd by a head over course and distance two starts back and was 3rd at Epson in an all age handicap over 7 furlongs 21 days ago.
The going at Folkestone is Good to Firm which are ideal conditions for Rum Punch who has won and finished 2nd on her two starts in the going. As mentioned earlier she is the only horse in the race with course experience having won and finished 2nd on her two runs over on the course, both of which were over 6 furlongs.
She is ridden by Eddie Ahern this evening who rode her to her 2nd place on her last run at Folkestone. Eddie has a reasonable record at Folkestone with an 18% winning strike rate over the last 5 seasons.
As the sole course and distance winner in the race, Rum Punch has a small advantage tonight. She looks to have room for improvement after only five starts and looks to be competitive off her current rating of 65 given the way she has run on her last two starts. Given her record at Folkestone and the Good to Firm going she could very well break her handicap duck this evening.
