Racehorse Balinka boosted by dynamic duo’s link (From Gazette & Herald)

Racehorse Balinka boosted by Brittain and de Sousa link

9:38am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

York trainer Mel Brittain and jockey Silvestre de Sousa are a partnership worth noting.

This season, the pair have teamed up 13 times and have been successful on five occasions, a strike-rate of 38 per cent.

Such figures make anything that de Sousa rides for Brittain interesting and that includes Balinka in tomorrow’s BDN Construction Nursery at Nottingham.

The Warthill filly has shown some solid form this term and was hardly winning out of turn under de Sousa at Ripon on her latest start.

She runs off a handy mark tomorrow in handicap company and is napped to follow up for an in-form team.

Sunpass, who won as he liked at Epsom recently after being off the course since the spring, can defy a 6lb penalty on behalf of the all-conquering team of John Gosden and William Buick.

Sidelined after a couple of promising efforts early in the season, Sunpass went a long way to making up for lost time on his latest start, coasting home by 11 lengths in maiden company without being put under any sort of pressure.

It is no surprise that Gosden is keen to bring Sunpass out under a penalty in the BDN Construction Handicap. He will be very hard to beat.

Quality Mark will be a popular choice in the opening BDN Civil Engineering Maiden Stakes.

Jeremy Noseda’s juvenile finished second at Beverley on his latest start and looks capable of going one better.

Also worth noting at Nottingham are the well-bred newcomer Berkeley Street (3.30), trained by Sir Michael Stoute, and recent winner Danube River (5.00), who looks capable of defying a 6lb penalty for Mark Johnston and Michael Murphy in the apprentices’ handicap.

At Kempton’s evening fixture, Paul Hanagan has good prospects of landing the Betdaq Casino Games Handicap on Alraased, trained by John Dunlop, who retires at the end of the season.

A good second at Yarmouth last time, beaten only half a length, Alraased had previously won on this course, so he clearly goes well on a Polytrack surface. A follow up looks on the cards.

George Cinq got off the mark here on his latest start in maiden company and looks a likely sort to make his mark in handicap company.

Michael Bell’s juvenile turns out in the sportinglife.com Nursery and has winning claims under Hayley Turner.

Secret Art (6.30), who finished third to George Cinq on his debut, may have benefited enough to clinch a victory this time, while Whitby Jet (8.30) is overdue a win and may find opportunity knocking.

 

Racing selections

Nottingham (tomorrow)
2.30 Quality Mark, 3.00 Balinka (NAP), 3.30 Berkeley Street, 4.00 Balady, 4.30 Sunpass, 5.00 Danube River.

Kempton (tomorrow)
5.30 Hardy Blue, 6.00 Renegotiate, 6.30 Secret Art, 7.00 Syrenka, 7.30 Alraased, 8.00 George Cinq, 8.30 Whitby Jet, 9.00 Wyndham Wave.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Ludlow and Towcester.

Today’s meetings: Brighton, Catterick, Leicester and Wolverhampton.