Tuesday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive handicap but preference goes to QUEEN MAEDBH (best priced at 11/2) who bids to make it 2/2 over this course and distance. The Joseph O’Brien trained three-year-old is less exposed than most of her rivals and now returns this venue where she won easily by 2 ¾ lengths on her second career start.

Queen Maedbh finished 3rd by a length at the Curragh in May off a mark of 91 before finishing only ½ length behind Tango Flare at Fairyhouse in June off a mark of 91. The handicapper has left her on a mark of 91 which seems lenient and she should run well once again with four places available.

The Sir Mark Prescott trained GOLDEN SHOT (best priced at 6/4) has form figures of 112121 in handicaps and he should hold strong claims once again in this race. The four-year-old was a typical Prescott improver who won his handicap debut when upped in trip to 1m6f and gelded between his two and three-year old season. Since then he has won at Wolverhampton, Ayr and Ffos Las including a 27 length victory last time on soft ground over 1m6f.

Golden Shot runs here under a 5lb penalty which will no doubt mean that he will be well handicapped when reassessed today and I expect him to follow up in this race back up in trip to two miles.

Both Pinafore (first time cheekpieces) and Johnny James (first time tongue tie) are respected in this race but preference instead goes to the consistent NORTHERN SPIRIT (best priced at 5/2) who was unlucky to bump into an improver last time at Yarmouth. The Brian Ellison trained three-year-old has form figures of 13213412 in handicaps including an impressive 3 ¼ length victory over this course and distance on his penultimate start off a mark of 70.

The handicapper raised Northern Spirit 6lbs for that effort and he was only beaten ¾ length at Yarmouth 19 days ago by Dark Trooper who has won twice since including a 2 ½ length success at the Shergar Cup on Saturday. He will no doubt be over 10lbs higher than when the pair met when reassessed so the fact Northern Spirit runs here off only a 1lb higher mark means he should prove well handicapped.