Kevin Darley, riding at the top of his form as the first of the season's Classics loom large, heads to Bath tomorrow and can make his long journey pay dividends by landing the feature race on the card.
The Sheriff Hutton-based jockey teams-up with Olivia Grace in the Lansdown Fillies' Stakes and Terry Mills' speedy five-year-old is fancied to take all the beating.
A high-class sprinter, Olivia Grace made a winning start to the season at Nottingham four weeks ago when she beat Repertory by threequarters of a length in conditions' race. The runner-up has since scored in a Group 3 race in Ireland, thereby franking the form.
Although racing over the minimum distance at Bath takes some knowing, Olivia Grace is a previous winner over this course and distance. She should make a bold bid.
Darley has other mounts with chances, including Exit To Heaven in the Levy Board Handicap.
Trained by John Dunlop, whose horses are in excellent form, Exit To Heaven shaped well to finish third to Tropical Coral on this course on her reappearance. Tomorrow's extra two furlongs should suit her even better.
Clarisse gets my vote in the Saffie Joseph & Sons Fillies' Handicap.
Trained by Henry Candy, the four-year-old showed a fair level of sbility last season and looks the type to improve further this term. Dane O'Neill has the mount on Clarisse, who is fancied to make a successful reappearance.
At Nottingham, my Nap selection Living Daylights can follow-up her debut success in the Newark Handicap.
John Dunlop's four-year-old bolted home by two-and-a-half lengths at Leicester under tomorrow's jockey Pat Eddery and it was revealed afterwards by connections that she is thought to be in-foal.
Expectant motherhood often brings about marked improvement in horses' racing performance, and Living Daylights in likely to prove hard to beat again.
Tuesday's tips:
Bath
2.00 Exit To Heaven, 2.35 Areeb, 3.05 Bahama Reef, 3.35 Olivia Grace, 4.05 A Vendre, 4.35 Prowse, 5.05 Clarisse.
Nottingham
1.45 Dawnus, 2.20 Cayman Breeze, 2.55 Attraction, 3.25 Living Daylights (Nap), 3.55 Floreeda, 4.25 Miss Ivanhoe, 4.55 Chorus, 5.25 Kristal Dancer.
- Tomorrow's other race meeting is at Newton Abbot.
- Tom O'Ryan's Nap for this afternoon's racing was Oldenway (4.45 at Hamilton).
Updated: 12:34 Monday, April 28, 2003
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