Monsieur Joe

30th-May-2015

I am backing Red Baron and Monsieur Joe here. They both ran against each other at York’s Dante meeting and again at Thirsk two days later, and both horses are worth following from both races, both for different reasons.

Red Baron led from early in the York race. He was fast enough away to lead some very fast horses. While he had no answer to Out Do’s finishing surge, he kept on really well to retain second place, just a neck behind Out Do. Then he went to Thirsk and, off the same handicap mark of 89, he won impressively.

The handicapper raised him 4lb to a mark of 93, but that his more than fair. He could have raised him by a fair bit more. I like his draw in stall three, it means that Neil Farley should be able to get him out and away and free of traffic towards the centre of the course, which seems to be where the best of the ground is these days at York.

We know that he goes well at York, five furlongs is his trip, and he goes on fast ground and on easy ground. He should run another big race.

The case for Monsieur Joe is not as straightforward, but it is still fairly compelling. Paul Midgley’s horse did well to get into that York race at all, given that he was drawn on the near side in a race that was dominated by the far side, finishing fourth and doing best of those horses who were held up.

In the Thirsk race, he showed a lot of pace to race in the front line, but he raced well away from the favoured stands rail throughout, so he did well to finish as close as he did in third place.

He loves York, and his draw in stall five, close to the front-running Red Baron, is good. The handicapper has dropped him another 1lb to a mark of 99, which is generous. He remains a potentially well handicapped horse on that mark, 13lb lower than his peak, and his last two runs suggest that he is as good as ever.

Be sure to place both bets with one of the firms that is betting each-way to five places.

MONSIEUR JOE WON (ADV 12/1, SP 9/1)

RED BARON 2ND (ADV 8/1, SP 9/2)

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