4th Jan 2017 | Horse Racing
Newcastle Tips: Hightime Girl
Inexperienced apprentice gave horse too much to do in steadily run race. Clocked fastest closing sectional from hopeless position.
I’m not usually one to criticise jockeys too harshly but I’m afraid Ben Sanderson got it wrong on Hightime Girl last time. A relative novice of just 42 rides, Sanderson misjudged the pace and held his mount in rear in a race run at a steady pace; the finishing speed was 106.7% of the overall race speed.
That is not to say he cost Hightime Girl victory but her chances were severely compromised.
With 3f to go she was still travelling strongly but 7.3 lengths behind the leader. In the home-straight she made good progress into a quickening pace, clocking the fastest closing sectional by 0.22s. Unfortunately, that was only good enough for fifth place but it meant a good run went largely unnoticed.
PJ McDonald takes over the ride in the 3.35 Newcastle and this lightly raced four-year-old could have more to offer, in a moderate field.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 05:18 4th Jan, 2017 but subject to change
