The yard of Charlie Hills made a slow start to the current campaign but they have been firing on all cylinders of late and Little Voice (3.00) shaped with considerable promise when fourth of 13 at Windsor on debut, having been very slowly away.
Jamie Spencer keeps the mount at Leicester and the third (Bournemouth Belle) has franked the form by winning at Goodwood at the weekend. Mick Channon’s Jersey Breeze showed more than enough at Salisbury to suggest she will win her fair share of races and Godolphin’s well-bred debutante Very Honest is worth more than a passing interest in the market; this looks an interesting and informative maiden.
The second division of the 6f maiden sees the debut of the 320,000 Guineas purchase Shahbar (5.30) for Marco Botti. The selection is a half-brother to Group winner Al Thakira and Frankie Dettori takes the ride.
At Huntingdon Buy Back Bob (7.20) is 5lbs worse off with Regulation than if this were a handicap but I was very taken with his recent Wincanton win when he made all and showed a rare turn of foot from the last.
This is a much stronger race and Improvisation receives 7lbs from the selection who has been off the track for 769 days since winning a 10f Newmarket maiden for the disgraced Mahmood Al Zarooni. He was given a rating of 95 after that run and trainer John Ferguson does very well with his Godolphin cast-offs.
Shwaiman (8.50) jumped as if he had never seen a flight of hurdles at Fakenham last time but he does possess ability and the drop back in trip will certainly help the 5-year-old. Trevor Whelan keeps the ride and the hope is that he has been extensively schooled since his last start three weeks ago.
At Hexham Ueueteotl (7.10) can build on his recent course win over an extended 2m 4f stepping up in trip to three miles for the first time. The selection jumped well last time and the handicapper certainly could have taken a dimmer view of that success given he has only raised him by a pound.
At Lingfield there are some beautifully bred fillies looking for that all important win in the two divisions of the 10f maiden including Age Of Elegance (5.10) who is taken to improve on her two turf outings over a mile. The selection was outing in all her best work late on over a mile at Nottingham last time from a poor draw and she has the plum draw in stall one this afternoon.
The Sea The Stars filly Shurfah cost 400,000 Gns as a yearling and is a half-sister to a number of winners and should be checked to see if there is market confidence behind her belated racecourse debut.
Bold Appeal (5.40) was too free on his return from a six-month break at Goodwood last time and can leave that form behind with Pat Dobbs, who was in the saddle when he won at Wolverhampton back in October, back in the saddle. Duc De Seville was well backed coming back from a lay-off at Kempton last month and it will be interesting to see if his supporters attempt to recoup their losses.
There is an excellent Beginners’ Chase at Ballinrobe and Rock The World (8.00) can score for Jessica Harrington; a useful hurdler connections always hoped he would make his mark over the larger obstacles and this looks an ideal starting point. His tissue is 9/2 at BetVictor and that looks a fair price.
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