The curtain is drawn on Yarmouth‘s three-day festival with two £20,000 races and competitive fields for both 1m 6f Handicaps. John Berry’s filly Hope is High (3.35) is improving at a rate of knots and should take all the beating in the first of two middle distance handicaps under Silvestre de Sousa.
The selection arrives seeking the hat-trick after bolting-up here over a mile and a half last month, and following-up at Bath when upped in trip under a penalty. She must defy a 13lb rise at the weights but is getting better with every race and can give weight and a beating to her 11 rivals accordingly.
Great Hall is another chasing the hat-trick after back-to-back wins at Ascot however, Zenon (4.10) receives a favourable 8lb weight-for-age allowance and can get back to winning ways under Ryan Moore. John Gosden‘s well-bred son of Galileo made a winning handicap when relishing the step up to today’s trip earlier in the season at Haydock and looked a potentially useful colt. He disappointed in listed company last time out at Goodwood however, the return to handicapping coupled with first-time head-gear should bring yet further improvement and he is a confident selection to claim a third career success.
A wide draw stopped Noble Masterpiece (5.50) winning under a penalty last time out at Kempton and after finishing second under Stevie Donohoe he can go one better under the same pilot in the finale. The selection bolted-up on his handicap debut over 7f last month at Nottingham and was unfortunate to bump into last time out over a mile. He should be suited by the drop back to seven furlongs and is a confident selection to better likely market rival Big Tour under Pat Cosgrave.
Ayr‘s three-day Gold Cup meeting kicks-off with a mammoth eight-race card, where Mark Johnston’s colt Frankuus (4.50) becomes the first progeny of the mighty Frankel to run at the track. The colt should take all the beating in the feature Doonside Cup and should relish the soft ground for the listed contest over a mile and a quarter. Jockey Joe Fanning got the fractions spot-on when making all on his penultimate start in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes and can likewise go pillar-to-post once more.
Katebird (4.20) had both Dark Egg Blue and Lively Fella in behind when winning a Fillies’ Handicap earlier in the season at Beverley and has conditions in her favour for the same trainer and jockey combination in the Fillies’ Handicap over a mile and a quarter. Joe Fanning likewise made all on the Dark Angel filly when bolting-up over today’s trip last month at Ripon and she is likely to remain competitive from just a 5lb rise at the weights.
There’s good all-weather racing this evening at Chelmsford, where I expect the ever-consistent Envisaging (7.15) to reward each-way support in the 7f Handicap under Silvestre de Sousa. The selection was a beaten favourite over this evening’s trip when fourth last time out at Wolverhampton but didn’t look at home on the track and hung badly when caught in the closing stages. He should appreciate the return to a polytrack surface and, despite remaining a maiden after nine career starts, must go close for the in-form yard of James Fanshawe.
De Sousa can complete quick-fire double aboard Deliberator (7.45) in the Mile Maiden for trainer William Knight. The well-bred son of Delegator has finished third on both career starts however, looked in need of the run on his seasonal reappearance at Lingfield back in May, in a race that has worked out particularly well. He remains open to further improvement and appears well-placed to make it third time lucky under the Champion Jockey elect.
For all the latest odds head to BetVictor.com and follow @BetVictorRacing on Twitter
