Handicap Verdict: Ross Millar inclined to upgrade Sandown winner Dolos

Last week's high-class racing came at the Dublin Racing Festival, but there was some intriguing lower-grade action on British soil and hopefully I have found four horses worth following.

GOING UP

Countless below-par performances from Paul Nicholls’ runners over the last few weeks (2 winners from 40 starters) has become a huge factor when assessing races both before and after they have happened.

Taking this poor run of form into consideration, I’m inclined to upgrade the win of Dolos at Sandown on Saturday. The form has a strong look to it - runner-up Frero Banbou and third-placed Gunsight Ridge arrived at the Esher track on the back of convincing wins, and there is no obvious reason why conditions would have impaired their performances.

In contrast, Dolos arrived on his longest ever sequence of runs without a win and had shown little in three outings this season. He was able to race off 14lb below his last winning mark as a result, and it was clear from an early stage that an improved performance was likely.

He jumped fluently in the early stages and took up the running in stylish fashion approaching the second-last, after which he galloped strongly to the line with his head bowed low, suggesting he still has the desire to win. A near 50-day break and the return to Sandown were given as the reasons for an improved display.

While he is versatile in regards to underfoot conditions, his best efforts have come on soft or heavy ground, so a 5lb rise to a mark of 148 might not prevent him from winning again.

GOING DOWN

I was marginally disappointed with Silver In Disguise at Chepstow on Friday. I tipped the Tim Vaughan-trained eight-year-old on the SBK app as I was confident that conditions would suit. He was stepping up a mile in trip, but that certainly wasn’t the cause of defeat. Silver In Disguise looked laboured as he approached the fifth-last, yet rallied well in homestraight to ultimately fail to hit the placings by a neck - a result that looked unfeasible for much of the race.

The son of Sulamani tends to hit a flat spot in the middle of his races, a trait that I had previously put down to him becoming outpaced over trips between 2m and 2m3f. He certainly shouldn’t have been outpaced in a 3m2f chase - he has won over 2m after all!  

Dropped 2lb for his most recent effort and 7lb in total after his last three starts, Silver In Disguise is now back to his last winning mark and I’m not ready to abandon him just yet.

The application of headgear might wake him up, which would enable him to travel closer to the pace, and it is worth noting that both of his wins last year came under conditional jockey Charlie Price, while this season he has been partnered by Alan Johns. 

Some riders and jockeys click and some don’t – it appears that may be the case with Minella Indo and Rachael Blackmore. It’s certainly something worth noting if you decide to follow me towards the cliff edge by adding him to your tracker!

NON-MOVER

For a horse with plenty of ability, Monsieur Lecoq has proved extremely difficult to catch right this year. However, after disappointing efforts at Lingfield and Sandown, he showed signs of life with a runner-up effort at Hereford just over a week ago.

Despite finishing second to the in-form Prince Escalus, Monsieur Lecoq has been left on the same mark of 128 - 17lb lower than this time last year - and, although he’s a quirky character, he would interest me when he returns to Sandown on soft ground. My enthusiasm would increase if Ciaran Gethings takes the ride.

Dans Le Vent (pink): drawing alongside Riggs (middle) en route to victory in November. Simon Marper

Finally a brief mention for Dans Le Vent - I’ve tipped him multiple times and also highlighted him in the first edition of this column, so it would be rude not to!

He again served us well by collecting each-way money on Saturday, even though the rain-softened ground blunted his speed. His mark (142) was unaffected by that performance and his hold-up style, which appears to have been integral to his improved form, means he’s always going to be reliant on luck-in-running. 

However, I’m confident that there is still some leeway in his current mark and he remains on my radar for all handicap hurdles over 2m4f or further.