Sunday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

The Richard Spencer trained Talamanca (best priced at 9/4) faces four rivals who are all making their nursery (handicap) debuts but the gelding no doubt sets the standard. The son of Rajasinghe failed to make an impact on his first three starts over 5f but finished 2nd on his handicap debut last time when stepped up to 7f for the first time.

Talamanca was only beaten ½ length at the finish despite being hampered during the race and he should hold strong claims off a 3lb higher mark. Connections now fit the gelding with first time cheekpieces and I expect him to prove hard to beat.

The Michael Bell trained True Courage (best priced at 13/8) drops in class following a good run at Ascot last time and he should prove hard to beat off the same mark. The four-year-old has been running consistently well off this mark of 77 with a 2nd placed finish at Windsor and a 3rd placed finish at Yarmouth.

True Courage finished only 1 ¾ lengths behind Awesome Dancer at Ascot last time in a Class 4 0-80 handicap under Dylan Hogan but now drops down in class to a Class 5 0-75 handicap off the same mark of 77. He is the only course and distance winner in the field and I expect him to prove hard to beat.

Thirteen-year-old Duke Of Firenze (best priced at 5/1) has won twelve times in his long career and I am hoping he can record another victory now he has dropped to a career low mark. The David Griffiths trained gelding has dropped down to a mark of 59 which is the same mark as when he finished 2nd at Wolverhampton in July when only beaten by a nose. Since that run he has finished well beaten in handicaps off marks of 66 and 61 but he ran well to finish only four lengths behind the winner Lord Riddiford at Goodwood last time from 18lbs out of the handicap.

Duke Of Firenze drops from a Class 2 handicap into a Class 6 0-60 handicap and I think he is overpriced against this opposition.