Links drive to hit top gear

- Links Drive Lady can come to the fore back at Windsor today.

On the face of it, this six-yearold mare looks hopelessly out of form ahead of the first division of the totepool Racing’s Biggest Supporter Handicap.

But that might not tell the full story as she has been pitched into some pretty hot races since winning this race last year. This therefore seems a far more palatable proposition than something like the Listed Wentworth stakes at Doncaster last November, when she was pulled up.

Links Drive Lady hardly thrived on her return to action back at the South Yorkshire circuit, too, when she finished last of

London

21 in a competitive handicap over 1200m. This daughter of Striking Ambition would never have been a factor, regardless, but jockey Danny Tudhope did not give her a tough time once she hit trouble in running inside the final 200m.

With that race probably engineered to dust off any trace of rustiness, trainer Dean Ivory will expect much more at Windsor, where she has won three times from seven starts. Links Drive Lady’s lean spell last summer saw her handicapped accordingly, and she now runs off the same mark from which she secured back-toback course-and-distance victories last May. Just as important, if not more so, is the fact there is plenty of rain forecast

as Ivory’s charge loves the ground on the soft side of good. With William Buick back at the helm in what looks the weaker of the two divisions, she rates quite a strong fancy at what should hopefully be decent odds.

Consistent filly Emily Davison is fancied to do the business in the Time For Tea Cup Handicap at Bath. The grey filly does not often falter in low-level sprints and has capably flown the flag for the small yard of Heather Dalton on the all-weather scene this year. A return to the turf held no terrors at Brighton just under a week ago as she bravely made all of the running in a 1100m handicap. Emily Davison was only worried out of it late in the piece by a race-fit Storm Lightning, who held just a neck advantage at the line. Dalton must nonetheless have been chuffed by that effort as it bodes particularly well for a big run off the same mark.

She is clearly not out of it from a handicapping perspective and also seems to possess the correct attributes to handle a track like Bath.

Rain at Beverley could come in time for Jacbequick in the Swan Industrial Drives Handicap. Ollie Pears’ inmate has won three times on the Westwood, albeit over shorter distances, and geared up for this with a good third at Catterick on ground that was too quick for him.

A fine ensemble has been lured to the party for the Free Trading Software Available On betdaq. com Handicap Chase at Kempton, with Duke Of Navan taken to come out on top.

Nicky Richards’ seven-year-old has impressed since he went chasing, with an accomplished Listed success at Ayr in April testament to that theory. This looks just as tough, but he is a likeable animal with plenty of pace. The possibility of ease underfoot will also considerably help his cause.

Prince Des Marais, a close enough second at Towcester at the beginning of April, is a name to think about it in the Call Star Spreads On 00353 1884 8114 Handicap Chase at Warwick. -