Our resident tipster is on great form with three winners from his last four.
3.15 Chepstow
MOHSEN (best price 8-1) has shown a fair level of ability in four starts so far to date and he rates an interesting contender off what appears to be a workable mark on his first attempt in handicap company. A big, raw unfurnished three-year-old, it’s taken a while for the son of Bated Breath to learn the ropes, but his effort at Doncaster two starts ago suggests he has plenty of ability and if he can run to that sort of level here this afternoon, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be a major factor off a rating of just 73. His latest effort at Kempton deserves upgrading also, as he found himself in an uncompromising position turning for home after a tardy start, and given that he seemed to handle soft ground over a stiff 7f at Newmarket three outings ago, today’s examination should be fine for Marcus Tregoning’s likable colt.
4.20 Chepstow
Quite a tightly-knit three-year-old handicap but both SEE OF ROME (best price 6-1) and FOOLS AND KINGS (best price 12-1) have done enough to suggest they can play significant roles in the outcome and are worth playing against the field accordingly. The former has been a bit hit and miss this season, but when there’s been plenty of give underfoot, he’s managed to perform to a decent standard. A smooth winner on soft ground at Salisbury four starts ago, Richard Hughes’ inmate backed that up with another sound performance at Goodwood two runs later and with the cheekpieces on for the first time, there may be a bit more to come from this sound stayer.
The latter is the least experienced in the field but one of the most talented and progressive and his latest performance over today’s C&D gives him a real chance of getting in the mix. Although only third of the five runners, the two that beat him that afternoon are pretty useful in their own right and the way he kept on well for pressure late on suggests a step up in trip might just bring about further improvement from the big, strapping son of Sakhee.
4.35 Galway
In some cases, ratings can count for absolutely nothing and fillies and mares’ races at this time of year are very much a case in point when the likelihood of a significant amount of improvement is more relevant than the pure weights and measures. Both HIGH LANGUAGE (best price 14-1) and FLAMING SEA (best price 20-1) have yet to catch the attentions of the official assessor but they have both shown enough in their respective maidens to suggest they can more than hold their own in this sort of company and they appear to have been overpriced because of the snobbery attached to the numbers by their names. The former has been a gradual improver in her three starts to date and although she was beaten fair and square by Flaming Sea over today’s C&D back here in August, her latest effort when victorious at Killarney suggests she going the right way both mentally and physically. Seemingly well suited by a stamina test on soft ground, conditions look ideal for Joseph O’Brien’s charge to ruffle a few feathers. The latter hasn’t been seen out since landing that C&D maiden back at the Festival in August, so presumingly connections have had this race in mind ever since. Also relishing the give underfoot that day, Conor O’Dwyer’s charge looks a better filly than her current rating of 83 and she can confirm that viewpoint with a performance to outrun her odds here this afternoon.
5.10 Galway
PROSPECTUS (NAP) (best price 5-1) ran a blinder in a very competitive handicap hurdle last week at Listowel and he makes plenty of appeal with his sights lowered considerably on his return to the Flat. A pretty smart juvenile hurdler through the winter, his two best performances came when conditions were pretty testing and although he handled the bad ground at Listowel when back on the level last week, lack of an outing for 181-days just took its toll on Gavin Cromwell’s inmate in the closing stages. However, to finish within hailing distance of the likes of in-form On The Go Again and the classy Ex Patriot suggests he’s in a pretty good shape and having run to a decent standard when trained in the UK by Hughie Morrison (best victory on soft at Ffos Las), it will be interesting to see what he can do off a potentially lenient Flat mark of just 69 compared to his National Hunt perch of 127.
