Paul Hanagan heads to Ffos Las for boss Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum seeking to build on his excellent strike-rate this term with three winners from four rides at the track this season.
Plenty of flat racing to sink our teeth into this afternoon with Carlisle staging a seven race card and Richard Fahey mob-handed with no less than six runners, four in second race, a maiden over six furlongs.
Musselburgh stage the flat action this afternoon and it will be disappointing if Henrytheaeroplane (2.30) can’t break his maiden at the second attempt having shaped with promise in a decent Haydock novice event won by a stablemate on debut earlier in the month.
Haydock stage a most informative afternoon card and in the opener Idder is of interest for Roger Varian but as a son of Authorized he might be quite at his best on the forecast good to firm ground and he is overlooked.
AP McCoy heads to Uttoxeter and Worcester in pursuit of Martin Pipe’s record of 4191 career winners, the Champion Jockey just one behind his former boss and seven excellent rides on two excellent cards of summer jumping.
The state of the ground is fundamental to any turf race and with rain forecast at Sandown ahead of Saturday’s card the hope is that the ground doesn’t deteriorate too much from the good ground which Clerk Of The Course Andrew Cooper was describing the track on Friday.
One winner for Godolphin at Royal Ascot in a handicap last week was not a vintage return for the operation and I do not think they have covered themselves in glory since the “resignation” of Racing Manager of 22 years Simon Crisford earlier in the year.
It’s Christmas Eve for Richard Hughes with four plumb rides on Toronado, Night of Thunder, Kool Kompany and Sole Power tomorrow on the first day of Royal Ascot and the Champion Jockey heads to his beloved Windsor for five rides, including two for the boss Richard Hannon.
Champion Jockey Richard Hughes heads to Salisbury this afternoon with an excellent book of rides including the Richard Hannon trained pair of Divine Law and Grenade (2.25) that open the card with preference for the latter in maiden over six furlongs.
There is a fascinating fillies’ maiden to start the proceedings at Lingfield with debutantes Winter Queen and Peace And War (2.10) of particular interest and it is the latter that gets the vote for Olly Stephens.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Snow Sky won the Derby Trial at Lingfield at the weekend and earns a quote of 16/1 with BetVictor for classic success at Epsom, bidding to give the trainer his 6th win in the race and first since Workforce romping home under Ryan Moore in 2010.
The Monday jumps card at Kempton gives way to all-weather action this afternoon and Colour Catcher (2.10) is taken to improve on his debut when green but running on strongly into third place in a decent little race.
We had a near 50/1 Grade One treble on Day Two of the Punchestown Festival and today’s feature sees Champion Hurdler Jezki take on Cheltenham fourth Hurricane Fly in a three-runner affair that is sure to be tactical as there is no confirmed pacemaker in the field.
The Punchestown Festival begins this afternoon and it is impossible to oppose the unbeaten Faugheen (4.20) in the first Grade 1 on the card despite the gelding dropping back in trip from his memorable success at Cheltenham in the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle over 2m 5f.
All flat action today and the Kempton draw could have been kinder to Heisman (2.40) who ran a cracker over C&D on debut before giving best to a useful sort of Godolphin’s here at the beginning of the month.
BetVictor make John Gosden’s unbeaten colt Kingman their 7/4 fav (from 6/1) for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next month after his magnificent win in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
It is rare to have a race where all in the field won their previous race but that is what we have in the BetVictor sponsored 12f Handicap at Kempton Park this evening and all four have a realistic chance.
Excellent racing at Newbury this afternoon beginning with a maiden hurdle over an extended two-and-a-half miles where Call Me Vic (2.10) can go one better than when runner up at Doncaster back in January.