At the top of today's composite rankings sits Sawpit Smokey, a black dog trained by D A Hunt who lines up from trap one in the 4:18pm A6 over 460 metres at Valley. With a composite score of 75 — the highest among all today's runners across all tracks — Sawpit Smokey stands out as the model's strongest call of the afternoon, and the data paints a picture of a dog who has been performing consistently at Valley without quite getting the luck of the draw to turn those efforts into wins.
His recent form shows a run of seconds and thirds at Valley's sprint trips: second on 20 May and second again on 13 May in D5 company, with a third on 6 May before that. Those placed efforts reflect a dog who turns up, competes near the front, and has been beaten narrowly rather than comprehensively. The opposition numbers back the class gap — the next highest composite in today's A6 field is 47, from Affleck Airborne in trap five, while Crokers Cian (trap six, CS 40) and the remaining trio trail further still. Sawpit Smokey's 75 represents a margin of 28 points over the second-rated dog in the race, a gap that is significant at any level.
Today's step up to 460 metres is worth noting for a dog whose recent work has been over Valley's 260-metre sprint trips. The longer distance may actually suit — consistent placings at the sprint suggest he has the pace, and a dog who has been finishing close late in shorter races often finds the added distance gives him the room to properly express his ability. Trap one at Valley offers the rail from the break, useful for a dog looking to establish position early and avoid the first-bend traffic that can disrupt a run at this level. D A Hunt sends Sawpit Smokey out with the strongest composite rating on the card. On the data, he should take some beating.