Right time for Midnight Martini
The name of Easterby has been appearing alongside winners at York racecourse for over 50 years.
Tim, whose father Peter was a major force in northern racing until his retirement in 1996, has trained the winner of the Reg Griffin Memorial Trophy twice in the last seven years, and can win it again with Midnight Martini.
The filly has run twice at York, winning the St Leger Yearling Stakes over course and distance last August and then finishing one-and-a-quarter lengths second to Rose Blossom in a conditions race there last month.
Rose Blossom did that form little damage when she was a close second in a Listed race at Haydock two weeks ago and Midnight Martini looks well-weighted from a handicap mark of 95. Easterby’s uncle, Mick, provides an interesting contender in Hoof It, who has been hoofing up the ratings in recent weeks with three wins on the trot.
However, the handicapper has taken note and a rise of 28lbs from his win at Beverly six weeks ago looks a tough ask.
In the ladbrokes.com Handicap, Opus Maximus has claims. A typical Mark Johnston runner, he put up an admirable performance to win at Ffos Las and looks to be running into form and could be hard to pass if he gets an uncontested lead.
The Listed totesport.com Scurry Stakes at Sandown Park looks tailor-made for Duchess Dora.
She is suited to by a stiff five-furlong, as she showed when over course and distance in April and also at Beverley last season. She did not really act around Chester two runs ago and did not get the run of the race at York four weeks ago.
The totesport Handicap looks a good chance for Bullwhip. Having won his maiden at Doncaster in March by seven lengths he was clearly well regarded because he was upped in class for the Group Three Greenham Stakes at Newbury the following month.
However he was never really competitive but the bare result of his next run, in a handicap at Chester last month, may be misleading. Bullwhip finished only sixth but this was a race where it was crucial to be up with the pace throughout.
He did not seem to handle the track very well but was making good progress from of the home turn and may not be too harshly handicapped at present, having been dropped 2lbs for that run.
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