The Inside Track

Thursday 2^nd August

Epsom

5.50 – Layline 1pt win 8/1

Certain trainers look to exploit the loop hole, of winning apprentice handicaps – where no penalty is giving for winning, with potentially well handicapped horses, where the aim is to try and run a quick sequence of victories, before the handicapper gets hold of you.  Gay Kelleway, is a trainer in that bracket.

Layline has always been seen as an all-weather specialist, but the handicapper could have taken a massive chance by dropping him 9lbs on the back of his last turf run.  The winner won easily that day, but Layline travelled with enthusiasm, and was only 6 lengths behind the 2^nd placed horse at the finish.  That race was much more competitive that today’s, in fact this is the lowest grade of race that Layline has contested in his career.

The most interesting fact about today is that Layline has 2 further entries later in the week, so I would guess that Gay Kelleway sees today as a springboard for a winning run.  She has booked Darren Egan, who is a very good apprentice, and Layline showed that he handled the course when running here as a 2 year old.

With this type of horse, it is always possible that I’ve read the situation completely wrong, and Layline could bomb out, but if this is a well worked plan by the Kelleway yard, then I would expect him to be well backed, and if on song should be too well handicapped for the opposition.

Galway

4.50 – Princeton Plains 1pt win 12/1

Princeton plains ran a cracker in the race last year, when finishing 5^th, just 2 days after winning the Novice hurdle on the opening day of the festival.  This was on decent ground, but he is certainly a better horse with some cut.

He’s a horse that has the rare quality of being able to find a turn of speed out the soft ground, off a strong pace.  These type of horses are always worth having on your side, in top end handicaps.  He’s been campaigned with this race in mind, rather than it being an afterthought like last year, and showed his wellbeing when a well backed winner on the flat last time.  He could go very close today in what is an extremely competitive handicap.