Following a 3/1 winner yesterday, Steve Ryder is back with three selections for today's action.
14:00 York
Saeed Bin Suroor has a good strike rate this season at 20% and I expect WILD LION (best priced at 6/1) to hold strong claims of following up his recent course win. The lightly raced five-year-old returned from a 113 day break to win at York in first time cheekpieces last month off a mark of 91. He stayed on well under Kieran O’Neill that day over 7f shaping like this step back up to a mile would suit (had previously won over a mile at Newcastle in October).
The handicapper has raised Wild Lion 4lbs which is fair and he should run well with Christian Howarth taking off a handy 5lbs and up to four places available if the cheekpieces do the trick for a second time.
15:10 York
Another Saeed Bin Suroor trained horse who was an impressive winner last time was LONG TRADITION (best priced at 15/2) and he looks extremely well handicapped under a 5lb penalty. The six-year-old returned from a 607 break to win easily by five lengths at Chelmsford last month in a first time hood which was an impressive performance.
Connections run Long Tradition in the John Smith’s Cup under a 5lb penalty rather than in a handicap off his new mark of 100 meaning that he is 9lbs “well in” at the weights. He runs here off a lowly weight of 8-7 and he should run well with up to seven places available.
16:00 Newmarket
There hasn’t been a three-year-old winner of the Bunbury Cup since 1998 but I am willing to take a chance on STREETS OF GOLD (best priced at 7/1) following his good performance at Royal Ascot. The Eve Johnson Houghton trained colt won his first five career starts including over 6f at this course before finishing 6th in the Greenham Stakes on his reappearance. He had a wind operation after that run and ran well to finish 3rd behind Olivia Maralda at Epsom on his next start in a listed race.
Streets Of Gold finished a close 3rd beaten only 1 ¼ lengths in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the handicapper has raised him 4lbs up to a rating of 109 following that run. He runs in this race off a mark of 105 meaning that he is 4lbs “well in” at the weights and he looks sure to be involved in the finish with up to six places available.
