William Hill Beverley Bullet: big-race guide and tip

The £70,000 William Hill Beverley Bullet is the highlight of the season on the Westwood and, while seven runners historically ranks as a small field for the race, this year’s renewal looks interesting all the same with a couple of progressive three-year-olds adding intrigue against more established older performers. 

One of the more notable facets about this year’s race is the comparative lack of 5f form on offer. has only run at the minimum trip once in 41 career starts, while has contested the distance four times in 25 starts so far. The seven runners in the line-up have run 173 times between them but five-furlong form accounts for just 44 per cent of that total. 

The two contenders, and Democracy Dilemma, are the established 5f performers while Blue Storm fits that profile as a three-year-old. In a sprint around a turn and one in which the pace doesn’t look furious on paper, could these speedsters with more experience at the minimum trip be at an advantage? 

Here’s a quick guide to all seven declarations and a verdict. 

Trainer: Odds: 5-1

The class act on official ratings, but will he be on his best behaviour? 

He waited in the stalls in the Nunthorpe last week before swerving sharply right on his belated exit, losing all chance, and did similar the time before in Listed company on the Knavesmire. The blinkers used last time are now dispensed with and perhaps back on board for the first time in two years - the two have a good record together - might make a difference. 

However, since showing his newly-adopted race-ending habit for the first time in the Epsom Dash four starts ago he’s exhibited twice in three starts since and he just can’t be one to support with any sort of confidence currently yet he's one of the market principals here.

Trainer: Archie Watson Odds: 9-1

A six-year-old with 25 career starts, he’s only raced at the minimum trip four times and all during this season in a busy campaign so far. 

Albasheer has won twice at five furlongs and finished a close second on the other occasion – he was down on the field on his first try at Chantilly in the spring on deep ground – so he looks interesting at the prices.

He’s travelled well when patiently ridden in a few starts at Ascot this season, while he did similarly from a more prominent pitch in the Chipchase Stakes at (went for home too soon) and also from a wide draw at when making ground after a slow start.

The way this race could pan out is a concern as he has started slowly on recent starts and I'd want one more forward over this course and distance, and especially one that may not be so truly run. All the same, he looks underestimated as the 9-1 outsider. 

Trainer: Michael Dods Odds: 4-1

The seven-year-old has raced 41 times under Rules yet the sprinter has raced just once over five furlongs, and that was in the Achilles Stakes at Haydock Park earlier in the season when he ran on for a distant second behind Believing in what was a good test at the trip. 

He looked out on his feet early in that race and similarly looked outpaced in a slowly-run Listed event at the a few starts ago. He travelled better and went along more sweetly in the early stages at York last time but he had the assistance of first-time blinkers there and it’s not a given the effect will be as potent this time (since 2010, yard 12 per cent and 1.07 A/E with first-time blinkers compared to 7.3 per cent and 0.51 A/E with runners having worn them once before). 

I don’t think this set-up will be ideal and he looks short enough in the betting to me. 

Trainer: Robert Cowell Odds: 9/2

This established five-furlong performer has been failing to really hit the line and see things out in his races this season, but from an inside draw this forward-goer could last out in what looks one of his more favourable assignments on paper this term.

He looked the winner everywhere but shortly before the line on the downhill run in the Dash at Epsom, perhaps paying for early exertions after diving for the rail. He shaped quite well from the front in two starts at York since when failing to really see things out, and given how well the pace was holding up at the Ebor Festival it’s perhaps noteworthy that he lost two places just by the line as he fell in for fourth.

This set-up looks a decent one, although could be on or near the early pace, though the issue is his price and he doesn’t look missed at 9-2. 

Trainer: Jamie Osborne Odds: 7-1

There’s no disputing his back-class as a Sprint Cup winner who has placed in the race on another occasion as well as twice in the Nunthorpe, but the eight-year-old looks far removed from that model on recent efforts.

He fared well in several Listed assignments on his final starts for Kevin Ryan last autumn and his profile suggests that late summer and autumn is a good time to catch him, yet while this is a drop in class from his races earlier in the campaign it’s a concern that he hasn’t really been seeing out his races. He broke well at Chester last time and, in a Listed race not run at a strong pace, he dropped away fairly tamely and in a fashion that makes it hard to warm to his chances here. 

Trainer: Gemma Tutty Odds: 6-1

This likeable three-year-old is yet to run a bad race in five starts so far for Gemma Tutty, a trainer still senjoying a great campaign (12.4 per cent, 1.09 A/E this turf season).

A colt who has looked at his best when patiently-ridden in big fields, he looked slightly unlucky when narrowly beaten in the Palace Of Holyrood but this set-up doesn’t look ideal on paper and the feeling is that he doesn’t have loads in hand off his current mark and on the back of an absence since Royal Ascot. 

Three-year-olds have a good record in the Bullet in the last two decades, though, throwing up 25 per cent of the winners from 17 per cent of the total runners (14 per cent, 1.37 A/E). Provided he’s not too far off a potentially middling pace he could certainly have a say.

Trainer: Odds: 13-2

This three-year-old filly is arguably the fascinating one in the line-up given she receives weight all round on this jump straight from the novice ranks into Listed company and up against established older sprinters.

Eye-catching on last season’s debut at Sandown Park, she gave a host of decent types from top stables a lead at the two-furlong marker at Newcastle next time and overhauled them despite the field quickening in front of her, form which has since been well-advertised. 

She was 1-6F for her belated return at last time and she was in the right spot on the front-end – Jack Channon additionally has a strong record with horses returning after a 250-day absence or longer (+£24.67, 1.41 A/E) – but while that win at prohibitive odds wouldn’t look to prove much on paper she is the type to improve this year and her speeds were impressive. 

Channon said post-race that he saw his expensive Advertise filly as more of a six-furlong type, but she hit 44mph at Windsor and posted splits of 10.26s, 10.33s and 11.15s for her final three furlongs, which makes for very impressive reading especially given her relative inexperience. 

I’d expect she’d be midfield at worst and, with a running style expected to suit this test, I don’t think she’s one to underestimate at all. 

This year’s William Hill Beverley Bullet looks interesting from a betting perspective given we have three runners heading the market priced between 4-1 and 5-1 but Clarendon House could compromise his chance at the start, Commanche Falls could well find this happening too quickly for him and hasn’t been really hitting the line strongly this season. 

For all Albasheer looks overpriced, the one I’m drawn to a little more is

STAINCLIFF

. It’s no doubt something of an ask to contest such as assignment as this on her first start outside of novice company, but her sectional figures were impressive at Windsor last time and I think this is a filly we could be talking about in much loftier company than this down the line. No filly has won this in the last two decades, but four of the last five to try who went off at single figures were all placed and I think she won’t be far away.