Wednesday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive 0-100 handicap and although race-fitness will be an advantage to the favourite Pocket The Profit, he looks vulnerable under a 6lb penalty. Preference instead goes to the Hugo Palmer trained DIG TWO (best priced at 8-1) who showed good form as a juvenile. The son of Cotai Glory won a 5f maiden at the course in May 2021 in impressive style by 2 ¾ lengths before following up under a penalty at Chelmsford on his next start over 6f. He finished 2nd in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot before slightly disappointing on his final two starts last season.

Dig Two has been gelded over the winter and has also had a wind operation so there are reasons to believe he will bounce back to form on his reappearance and he is respected with up to five places available.  

The Chris Wall trained DOUBLE OR BUBBLE (best priced at 6-1) was an impressive winner on her reappearance last season at this meeting and despite having a few pounds to find with the those at the top of the market on ratings, I do feel she holds strong claims in this Group 3. The sister to the high-class Mix And Mingle relishes fast ground and she showed this on multiple times last season.

Double Or Bubble won a listed race at Pontefract in August over 6f before finishing 2nd in two Group 3s over 7f on her next two starts. She can be forgiven a disappointing effort on good to soft ground on her final start last season and she should run well with up to four places on offer.

There is no doubt that the unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite Native Trail sets the standard in this race but we have had the likes of Air Force Blue and Pinatubo not reach the levels of their juvenile campaign in recent years and I am willing to take him on with the Jane Chapple-Hyam trained CLAYMORE (best priced at 11-1). The son of New Bay was an impressive winner of a 7f maiden here in October in soft ground where he ran out a four length winner despite showing greenness on his racecourse debut.

The form of that victory has been boosted by the runner-up Noble Order winning by 4 ½ lengths at Kempton in January and the fourth Swatch winning at Lingfield by 4 lengths last month. Claymore clearly needs to step forward from that novice race victory but he has a similar profile to both Star Of India and Al Mubhir who are both shorter than him in the market. Jane Chapple-Hyam is well used to mixing it with the bigger stables as she had Saffron Beach finish 2nd both the Nell Gwyn Stakes and 1000 Guineas last season and I think Claymore is overpriced for this trial.