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Allan's touch makes success look So Easy

KEEP the faith tonight and stick with Punters' Pal Ivan Allan in the sixth event on the Happy Valley equitrack. Allan, chasing Patrick Biancone in the trainer standings as he bids to defend the title he won in emphatic fashion last season, can strike at big odds with So Easy who will relish the 2,000-metre trip on the dirt. He was trapped off the track last time and did not actually run as badly as the bare form on the grass behind Starbuck suggests.

That was also a pretty hot contest by Class Three standards and So Easy will find this Classes Three & Four event much more to his liking. Prior to that he probably did not last home over 2,230 metres on the grass, but is now back racing over his best course and distance. It is good to see that Basil Marcus is back on board, too.

Stable apprentice Peter Y. S. Wong rode him last time and while Wong is improving all the time and looking good value for his 10-pound claim, So Easy is not really a kid's ride.

He takes an awful lot of pushing and scrubbing along and is ideally suited to Marcus' never-say-die style of riding. Even Allan laughed: 'This is one of the few rides that even leaves Basil a bit short of breath when he comes in. 'He needs to be pushed from start to finish. I'll have the oxygen ready for Basil when he comes back.' With the in-form Valiant Red in the line-up and virtually guaranteed to start favourite, there should be some good value to be had about So Easy who is very well weighted on his best form over course and distance from last season. The drop down in the ratings scale is what has tipped my Topspeed figures in So Easy's favour as it is worth remembering that weight plays such an crucial part in calculating the speed figure. Anyone who thinks that bare time alone is important is simply talking nonsense.

They should go back to primary school, carrying a stopwatch in one hand and their books on their back one day and then leave them at home the next. Then they will see the rol that weight plays.

It is a combination of speed, weight and a going variable, to take into account the state of the ground on the day, that produces any speed figure worth its salt.

Valiant Red is still a must for the quinellas. He is in form, racing over his favourite equitrack surface and he stays well.

He looked to find a mile on the short side when third to Pearl Of India last time out and will be much more at home over tonight's 2,000 metres.

It could also pay dividends to keep River Verdon's full sister, River Serein, safe in quinellas and tierces.

She ran on strongly when second to New Airport over 1,800 metres on the Valley grass last time out which puts her in here with a good speed rating.

And just like Valiant Red, the move up in distance should suit her ideally. She has always shaped as if she would show her best over 2,000 metres or further.

As for her well-being, my trackwork spies say she has never worked better in her life. This combined with her recent Topspeed figure should make her very hard to keep out of the frame.

Electric Power is another worth supporting, this time in the Class Four fifth event over a mile.

The Gary Ng Ting-keung-trained gelding has shown his best form at up to 1,400 metres on the grass, but now he is a bit older he should be able to see out the mile on the dirt. It definitely does not take so much staying as a mile on the grass.

Electric Power has gradually raced his way back to form this season and put the writing on the wall last time when finishing fast into third in the 1,200-metre event won by Pleasant Win.

He was caught wide round the bottom bend otherwise he would almost certainly have run down Turf Apex for the quinella position and should now be ready to run right up to his winning form of last season.

Again he is clear in my Topspeed ratings due to a slip down the ratings scale and looks very solid win and place value.

Mr Bunny has been racing in good form and will take plenty of beating in the night's final event.

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