Bath, Tuesday 26 May: Tips and Best Bets

Bath, Tuesday 26 May: Tips and Best Bets

A sunny Bank Holiday week card at Bath on firm ground, with three races to pick through. The going suits speedballs and horses with a low, efficient action, so anything that wants cut in the ground is best left alone today. Clive Cox fires at 18% here and Stuart Williams hits above expectation at this track, both worth following when they saddle fancied runners. Let’s get into it.

3:00 — Get Raceday Ready EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (5½f, Firm)

Twelve runners, mostly debut or lightly-raced fillies, and the form book only gets you so far in a race like this. But two angles stand out clearly.

Ennerdale Water (11/2, Boyle Sports) is the Clive Cox debutante to focus on. Cox runs at 18% at Bath with a near-level book, and this filly is by A’Ali, a sire who throws natural pace and handles fast ground. Her half-sibling Bassenthwaite won at five furlongs as a two-year-old and hit an RPR of 93, which is solid bloodline context for a sharp maiden. She’s hooded for debut, which Cox uses deliberately rather than as a panic measure, and Rossa Ryan takes the ride. The market will be instructive in the morning, but at 11/2 ante-post she represents good ante-post each-way interest with three places on offer.

Snow On The Beach Each-Way (12/1, Boyle Sports) is the bigger-priced angle. The Newland and Insole yard has scored at 21% at Bath, and the key piece of context here is that both of their two-year-old winners this season came at Bath, one on debut. This is a 32,000gns foal out of a five-furlong two-year-old winner, by Mohaather who gets quick-ground types. Jack Doughty rides and he’s a solid 17% at this track with a positive A/E of 1.10. At 12/1 in a three-place market, this filly is worth a small each-way flier if you want a value punt on pedigree and yard form.

The likely market leader, Arabica Queen, showed speed at Windsor before weakening, and dropping from 6f to 5.5f helps the stamina question. She could run into the places but at 9/2 she’s not the value play when the debut types are so interesting.

Selection: Ennerdale Water at 11/2 to win, with Snow On The Beach each-way at 12/1 as the value saver.

3:30 — Download The Raceday Ready App Handicap (5½f, Firm)

Only five runners and the form of one horse dominates the conversation. Small field means no each-way recommendation here.

Tuscan Point (2/1, Boyle Sports) is the banker call. Adam Kirby, who trains this one, has gone 3 from 14 in the last 14 days, and Tuscan Point himself has been in terrific nick this spring. He’s won at Southwell and Lingfield on the all-weather and put in three placed efforts, giving him a form line of 125212 that reads as a horse in peak condition. The concern is always turf: he’s 0-16 on grass. But the Spotlight is clear that he handles fast ground, and 5.5 furlongs at Bath on firm suits a horse who places consistently. Charles Bishop, who knows this horse, takes the ride.

At 2/1 he’s short, but in a five-runner handicap with his current form, the price is fair rather than generous. He’s the logical selection.

Phoenix Moon ran her best turf race when second at Windsor 19 days ago in good to firm, and this going is faster still. She’s 0-9 on turf but that Windsor run hinted she could finally transfer AW form to grass. Worth watching in running if you want a saver at 7/2.

Selection: Tuscan Point at 2/1 (Boyle Sports/Betfred).

4:00 — Tips For Every Race At raceday-ready.com Handicap (5f, Firm)

Seven runners over five furlongs on firm, and the race revolves around recent Windsor form. Stuart Williams hits 17% at Bath with an A/E of 1.09, which is actually the most profitable trainer stat on the card today.

Correspondence (15/8, Boyle Sports) is the form pick. He broke his maiden at the tenth attempt at Windsor 15 days ago, doing it with authority in cheekpieces, keeping on strongly to beat Danger Alert and Over Spiced. He goes up 5lb for that win, but the Spotlight notes he’s still unexposed at this level, and Tony Carroll has gone 10 from 48 in the last 14 days, a yard clearly in form. Rossa Ryan stays on and five furlongs on firm at Bath should suit a horse who travels strongly.

The danger is Over Spiced, who has a course-and-distance win to her name from May 4 and races off a 2lb lower mark today than at Windsor. She’ll press the pace and make it competitive, but Correspondence beat her on terms recently and goes here with the edge in confidence and form trajectory.

Aces Wild (7/1, Boyle Sports) Each-Way is worth a small each-way interest. He broke his turf duck at Chester last July off a similar mark, has placed twice here this spring, and Finley Marsh replaces the apprentice today, which is a deliberate upgrade. Two respectable Bath efforts this season and 7/1 in a seven-runner two-place market is over the top.

Selection: Correspondence at 15/8 (Boyle Sports/Betfred), with Aces Wild each-way at 7/1 as the value saver.

Today’s NAP

Correspondence — Tips For Every Race At raceday-ready.com Handicap (4:00, Bath)
Odds: 15/8 — Boyle Sports (others: 15/8 Betfred, 15/8 LiveScore Bet)

Correspondence ticked every box at Windsor 15 days ago, landing his first win in cheekpieces with real authority and leaving two market rivals trailing. Tony Carroll has been in red-hot form over the last fortnight at 10 from 48, Rossa Ryan stays aboard, and five furlongs on firm at Bath suits a horse who travels with purpose and quickens late. The 5lb penalty is a fair price to pay for a horse who looked to have more in the tank at Windsor, and at 15/8 in a race his trainer clearly has targeted, this is the play of the day.