Kevin Ryan's inmate is primed to win his first race in four years.
3.20 Catterick
MAGICAL EFFECT (best price 3-1) was an excellent third in what’s turning out to be a pretty reliable form line at Ripon last time out and he’s fancied to score over 7f for the first time for his in-form yard. The feature of that race at the Yorkshire venue was it was run in a much faster time than the Great St Wilfred itself over the same C&D half an hour later and with the likes of Hee Haw, Guishan and Bossipop all going on to boost the form next time out, his performance in finishing just behind the revitalised Teruntum Star was arguably a career-high from Ruth Carr’s inmate. Prior to that creditable display, the son of New Approach had run out a fairly comfortable winner of a competitive 6f handicap at Redcar and with a run-style that lends itself to the theory that an extra furlong will suit, the four-year-old can strike for the fourth time in his career.
3.30 Musselburgh
Although BOGART (NAP) (best price 10-3) hasn’t scored for the thick end of four years, his last two efforts suggest it’s only a matter of time before he snaps that unwanted losing run and today’s race should provide him with at least the perfect platform to carve open a winning opportunity. Having travelled extremely well to halfway last time out at Thirsk, it looked likely that the hoodoo was going to be broken, but the strong late rattle of Memories Galore came to spoil the party and he had to settle for an honourable runner-up spot for the second time in succession. However, the time figure he posted suggested he’d bumped into a horse that literally hit the ball out of the park on the numbers and given that he’d, in turn, finished well clear of the rest, he clearly run up to a decent standard in defeat at the Yorkshire venue. Drawn right next to the speed in the shape of Lydia’s Place up the stands’ side rail, Kevin Ryan’s inmate should get the perfect tow into the business end and it’s just a question of whether he has the inclination to get the job done at the ripe old age of eight.
6.25 Kempton
BADENSCOTH (best price 5-1) looked a thoroughly progressive type when scoring tidily at Chelmsford two starts ago and he’s taken to resume winning ways on his return to the all-weather via an excellent effort on turf last time out. Although well held in the end by Wealth Tax at the Colwick Park venue 27 days ago, soft ground wouldn’t have necessarily suited Dean Ivory’s charge that day and he’s better judged on his recent exploits on a polytrack surface which he appears to relish. A creditable runner-up to Scala Regia in a similar race over tonight’s C&D three starts back, the son of Foxwedge has more in his favour than his morning odds imply and he’s worth a decent each-way bet accordingly.
6.45 Bellewstown
Young up-and-coming apprentice Cian MacRedmond seemed to get a nice tune out of perennial bridesmaid SWEETEST TABOO (best price 11-2) at the Curragh last time out (first ride in public) and the combination are fancied to repeat the dose in this similar grade. Often a sweet traveller through her races, Willie McCreery’s inmate had been accused many times in the past for not finding as much off the bridle as anticipated, but she put that theory to bed in no uncertain terms at the Co Kildare venue with a performance of some authority. Arriving here with her confidence buoyed by that easy success, the daughter of Camacho should get the race run to suit with pace all over the track and providing the 16-year-old has the mentality to ride her with balls of steel again, hopefully she can come through again.
