14/1 Madam Macie handicapped to strike
Course and distance winner Madam Macie has dropped back down to a very lenient mark and looks worth chancing at 14/1 in the 3.50 at Catterick.
David O’Meara’s filly was a progressive sort last season, and looked the type to go on to better things when slamming Gene Autry by 4 1/2 lengths over 7f at Haydock on her third start off a mark of 79.
She showed terrific early pace that day and forged clear a furlong from home to win easing down.
The daughter of Bertolini was sent off a heavily backed 7/1 second favourite for a hot 6f sprint at York on the back of that effort, and was far from disgraced off a 10lb higher mark in finishing 8th of 20 to Victoire De Lyphar after being unable to get to the front.
She then contested a listed 7f event at Warwick on her final start, and after leading until 3 out kept on well despite being hampered to finish a 4 1/4 length sixth of 9 to Luca Cumani’s classy Seta.
This season she has run just three time, but has shown enough to me to make her of interest today despite being well beaten.
She looked badly in need of the run when well behind Shesastar in a 7f contest at York on her reappearance, and still looked as if she would improve for the outing when behind Electra Star at Ascot on her second start.
She was then heavily punted into 13/2 (from 14s) on her latest start over 6f at Pontefract but was not allowed to bowl along in front and after tracking the leaders faded out of contention.
The handicapper has reacted by dropping her another couple of pounds to 77 and that means that she is now 2lb below her last winning mark and potentially very well-in if bouncing back to anywhere near her best.
Today’s 7f trip looks her ideal distance, and given that she was winning form at the track and Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle she looks too big to ignore at the 14’s on offer.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts each-way Madam Macie (14/1 Hills – BOG)
Alison’s Al Shababiya looks A1 at 5’s
Alison Thorpe likes nothing more than to land a gamble and Al Shababiya makes plenty of interest on his first start for her in the 4.50 at Catterick.
The filly won a Brighton handicap of 57 over today’s distance when trained last season by David Simcock and followed that up with a good second on the all-weather at Southwell off a 9lb higher mark.
She then flopped in his final start at Bath last October, but something was clearly amiss that day and this is her first appearance since.
Now in the care of Thorpe, she has been given a terrific chance by the handicapper of making a belated winning reappearance for her new handler as she has been dropped back down to a mark of 58 – just 1lb higher than when winning at Brighton.
That gives her a terrific chance of scoring in this line-up if fit and ready to go after her long lay-off and hers handler is more than adept at getting one ready to roll at the first time of asking.
At 5/1 she looks an each-way steal.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 3pts each-way Al Shababiya (5/1 generally available – BOG firms)
