Windsor best bets: Curtiz to bounce back under Tom Marquand, Fullforward could surprise
- John Fearn
- 6 May 2024
It wouldn’t be a Monday in spring without some early evening racing at Windsor to enjoy, and this big-field handicap offers plenty of betting options for Bank Holiday race-goers to consider.
18:00 Windsor: Download the Racecourse App Raceday Ready Handicap (1 mile 2 furlongs)
With no fewer than 11 of this 15-strong field readily available at double-digit odds, and with five each-way places up for grabs (as many as six in some quarters, this wide open handicap could quite easily throw one or two so-called outsiders into the frame.
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Not many of them appear at first glance to have the credentials to land this, but Fullforward has shown enough in recent outings to suggest that jockey William Carson coax a good ride out of him here.
The Michael Madgwick-trained four-year-old has two career wins under his belt to date, including his most recent success at this venue last August over a longer 11½-furlong trip.
Suggested each-way punt: Fullforward in the 18:00 at Windsor
He has shown signs of steady improvement on all-weather tracks during the winter, culminating in a creditable runner-up spot in a 10-runner handicap over a mile and a half in February.
His one subsequent outing a month ago can probably be excused as he was badly hampered entering Lingfield’s straight, but nevertheless showed plenty of willing to run on strongly to grab fourth place.
With blinkers reapplied and the capable Carson retaining the ride, Fullforward could well live up to his name to outrun his price and feature prominently here.
The morning withdrawal of strongly-fancied Trojan Truth has squeezed the top of the market, leaving Daphne May as the tentative early favourite, while Dubai Immo also looks useful under Hollie Doyle, despite a five-pound rise imposed following here surprise maiden win as a 33/1 outsider on Chelmsford’s synthetic track 18 days ago.
Roscioli also looks interesting under the guidance of Rossa Ryan, but the final nod from Tipstrr’s pundits goes in the direction of Hughie Morrison’s experienced gelding, Curtiz.
This likeable seven-year-old is looking to add to his previous half-dozen trips to the winners’ enclosure, which including a tidy turf hat-trick as a four-year-old.
Best bet: Curtiz each-way in the 18:00 at Windsor
He has never quite matched that purple patch of form, but he came close during his winter all-weather campaign, having taken a year off from the end of 2022.
After a couple of pipe-openers at Kempton, Curtiz showed steady improvement to pick up a couple of decent frame finishes, and promptly backed that progress up with an overdue success over this distance at Chelmsford in January.
He has not reached that level in three subsequent outings, but he could well respond more favourably under the in-form Tom Marquand, who arrives at the Berkshire track fresh from clinching four wins and three placed finishes in his 13 rides at the Newmarket Guineas meeting.
- Tip advised by The Banker on Tipstrr
