The third and final day of Brighton‘s August meeting sees Sir Mark Prescott unleash yet another well-handicapped animal at the track and his filly Cliff Face (2.40) should defy a 6lb penalty and follow-up a recent all-weather success under Luke Morris. The daughter of Canford Cliffs was much-improved for the switch to handicaps, finishing second on her handicapping debut at Lingfield, before following-up to go one better last week, and looks to have been well-placed to continue her progression this afternoon.
It would be of no surprise to see Melabi go close for in-form trainer William Haggas in the feature, but preference on this occasion lies with Frozen Force (3.40) in first-time head-gear for Jim Crowley and Amanda Perrett. The colt must defy a career-high mark of 79 but scored at the track earlier in the campaign over a mile and should prove just as effective stepping up in trip to a mile and a quarter.
The Ron Harris yard are flying at present, enjoying an across-the-card double on Wednesday, and narrowly failing to land a gamble with Vincentti (4.10) at Salisbury in the week. The gelding got little luck in-running before plugging-on to finish a terrific second on his preferred soft ground and with conditions to suit can go one better under Raul Da Silva.
The Archerfield Cup is the feature this afternoon at Musselburgh and, after letting down punters in both the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate, Roger Varian’s Steve Rogers (4.00) seeks to make amends with Harry Bentley in the plate for the first time. The gelding disappointed in some of the season’s biggest handicaps but showed he retained plenty of ability finishing second last time out at Ascot and must go close from just a pound higher mark.
There’s evening racing from Haydock, where I’m looking forward to seeing Mark Johnston’s White Tower (6.50) hopefully returning to winning ways in the 7f Novice Stakes under Franny Norton. The stoutly-bred son of Cape Cross looked a horse to follow when making a winning debut earlier in the season at Ripon and was far from disgraced when fifth in the G2 Superlative Stakes at last month’s July Meeting. It looks highly likely that there’s more to come from the juvenile and he is expected to get his head back in front once more.
The pair can complete doubles with Londinium (7.20) in the 7f Nursery bidding to likewise score for the second time of his juvenile campaign. The son of New Approach shed the maiden tag over course and distance last month under James Doyle, beating the re-opposing Tommy Taylor by a neck on ground much softer than ideal. He receives 4lb from the latter and, whilst he is expected to continue his progression after winning well last time out, the Johnston inmate gets the nod to frank the form on his return to a sounder surface.
Johnston’s Tartan Bute ran a stormer when finishing second in the week at Catterick and should prove popular dropping back in trip from an unrevised mark in the feature handicap over a mile and a half. Nevertheless, he had a hard race that day and preference lies instead with Richard Spencer’s Nucky Thompson (8.30) bidding to make it fourth time lucky for the yard since joining in the spring. The selection has finished second on his last two starts in competitive mile and a half handicaps at Wolverhampton and Doncaster and remains well treated to go one better from a 4lb higher mark.
John Gosden’s Dazzling Rose (7.45) defied an absence of almost 5 months when making a winning return at Newmarket last month and can defy an opening mark of 88 to follow-up over course and distance in a competitive Fillies’ Handicap under Frankie Dettori. She galloped strongly when winning well last time out and looks the ideal type to do better still.
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