William Buick is Leicester bound this afternoon with an excellent book of rides and partners Charlie Appleby’s Chess Master (2.00) for his bosses Godolphin in the opening 7f Maiden. The selection is a Shamardal half-brother to Aidan O’Brien’s superb filly Halfway to Heaven and cost an eye-watering 1.7million guineas as a yearling at the sales. The colt is entered in some of the season’s most prestigious juvenile contests and can make a winning debut en-route to a tilt at one of those entries thereafter.
Godolphin are represented by Move Up in the second division of the 7f Maiden and the once-raced colt is respected but preference lay with Stargazer (2.30) who is similarly bidding to shed the maiden tag at the second time of asking after a promising debut last month at Sandown. The son of Canford Cliffs is a half-brother to connections’ talented Stravagante and with the benefit of experience can score for Sir Michael Stoute and Ted Durcan.
Richard Fahey’s English Summer couldn’t have been more impressive when landing the Amateur Riders’ Derby ;on bottomless ground last week at Epsom but could struggle upon returning to a sounder surface and a chance is taken on Luca Cumani’s Irish Hawke (3.30) bouncing back under Adam Kirby. The 3-y-o receives an invaluable 9lb from his elders and scored readily at Lingfield two starts ago. He was well-backed prior to his handicap debut when failing to stay a mile and three-quarters at Sandown however looks the ideal type to improve further and can make it 2/2 over a mile and a half.
Six go to post for the feature and David Elsworth’s Justice Day (4.00) taken to land the 6f Conditions Stakes under Flat Jockey’s Championship leader Silvestre De Sousa. The colt has plied his trade in higher company all season and with Hot Steak carrying the burden of a penalty he looks particular well-treated to score for the first time this term.
Gordon Elliot is unsurprisingly well-represented at Perth and should land the opener with Mr Steadfast (5.10) under Richard Johnson. The selection was second over course and distance when bumping into a smartly-bred sort form the Bloomfields Operation and with the form of that race working out well he can go one better this evening.
The pair team-up with Tempo Mac in the 2m Novices’ Hurdle however there’s another exceptionally well-bred runner for John Ferguson in the combination’s way and Laajooj (5.40) gets the nod under Aidan Coleman. The selection was rated 108 on the flat with Godolphin and hasn’t been sighted since winning ay Meydan in January 2013 however the fact that connections’ have persevered with the 7-y-o hints that he has retained his ability and he is taken to make a winning debut over timber.
David Pipe‘s Border Breaker should go close in the feature Inverness Cup but Enchanted Garden (7.10) continues to progress over the larger obstacles and can land the spoils for Malcolm Jefferson and Brian Hughes. The gelding has taken to the larger obstacles well winning a competitive novices’ chase at Market Rasen in July and having a nice spin on the flat last time out at Newcastle. The selection is rated 145 over timber yet runs from a 10lb lower mark over the larger obstacles and can make full use of that pull at the expense of Border Breaker and Irish raiders Nearest the Pin and Russian Regent.
At Redcar, Paul Midgeley’s Twentysvnthlancers (2.50) has improved with each start since finishing fifth on debut at Beverley and after his second at the track last time out can go one better this afternoon under Graham Lee. He looks to be going the right way and score at the fourth time of asking.
Lee can double-up aboard Auspicion (3.50) for trainer William Haggas in the Pinnacle Cup Handicap over a mile. The well-bred son of Dansili made a winning reappearance at Ripon in the spring and followed that with creditable efforts in competitive handicaps at Doncaster and Musselburgh thereafter. He failed to fire in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot but back in calmer waters can score readily back on his preferred sounder surface.
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