2:10 – Beverley – BEVERLEY ANNUAL BADGEHOLDERS SELLING STAKES (CLASS 5) (3-4yo) Good 1m4f16y
It is difficult to know what the going will be at Beverley by the time of the first race this afternoon. Yesterday it was Good to Firm all over but after 8mm of rain overnight the going is now Good. The racecourse reported at 6:45 that more rain was expected and that there could be some further easing in the ground. The only horse in the first race, a Class 5 Seller over 1 mile 4 furlongs, that is currently in decent form and has winning form in both Good and Soft ground is Future Wonder.
The 3 year old bay filly is having just her second run for her new trainer Brian Ellison and a repeat of her first run for her new connections will probably be enough to win again today. She has only run four times on the flat turf but she has won twice, once over 1 mile and latterly over 1 mile 2 furlongs.
Her last run at Ripon was in Soft ground and although she was only running in a weak Seller she won in impressive style. She was held up towards the rear until 3 furlongs out when she started to make smooth headway and was leading on the bit inside the final furlong. She was shaken up and although she edged right she was very good value for her 3 ¼ length winning margin, suggesting that she had more in the tank if required.
She is upped in trip to 1 mile 4 furlongs today and she should get the trip on her breeding. She is by Whipper who has a 20% winning strike rate with his progeny over 1 mile 4 and 1 mile 5 furlongs. Her ill fated half sister Fascinating I also won over the trip.
Under the conditions of the race she does get a 3lb pull in the weights from the 4 year old fillies, 5lbs from the 3 year old geldings and 13lbs from the 4 year old geldings, although she carries a 5lb penalty as she has won in 2012. However, her jockey Paul Pickard takes off 3lbs and Paul was her rider when she won at Ripon on her last start. Paul also has a winner for Brian Ellison at Catterick on Saturday.
Brian Ellison has his string in very good form at the moment and has sent out 6 winners over the last 14 days at a winning strike rate of 22.2%. He is also well known for bringing on average horses such as Future Wonder as he showed on her first run for the yard. She has tended to take a firm hold in her races to date, but Paul Pickard was able to get her settled fairly early in her run at Ripon last time and the yard will no doubt have been working on this with her at home. Given the uncertain going, the fact that she is proven to act in both Good and Soft ground, plus the fact that she has now won twice from three starts in Selling races gives her a good chance under the race conditions today.
