14:50 Epsom Downs

With his main danger Tourist a NR this morning, this looks a great opportunity for MUSCIKA (best priced at 2/1) to get back to winning ways. The David O’Meara trained ten-year-old won this race in impressive style last season by three lengths off a mark of 70 and is only 2lbs higher this year. 

Muscika had been running consistently well on the AW before disappointing on his three turf starts after a break at York, Doncaster and Ripon. With a visor re-fitted last time at York, he finished 2nd by a length off a mark of 71 and he should now hold strong claims back at Epsom for the first time since his victory in this race last season.

16:35 Epsom Downs

The Jim Boyle trained MARLAY PARK (best priced at 7/2) has put in two uncharacteristically bad performances at his beloved Epsom on his previous two starts but should now bounce back dropped in class. The six-year-old has form figures of 22132152134412478 at Epsom in his career with his four victories all coming over this trip of 7f. His three previous victories have come off marks of 78, 80 and 79 so he now looks well handicapped off a mark of 76.

Crucially, the fact that Marlay Park has dropped to a mark of 76 means that he can now drop in grade to this Class 5 0-75 handicap for the first time since June 2021 and he should prove hard to beat.

19:05 Thirsk

This looks a competitive 0-80 handicap but preference goes to READY FREDDIE GO (best priced at 3/1) who can hopefully get back to winning ways in first time blinkers. The Ollie Pears trained six-year-old won on his first ever start in cheekpieces and also won on his first start that cheekpieces were re-applied in April 2022. He has worn them on every starts since so hopefully this switch in headgear will work the trick that it has on the previous two occasions it has happened on his return to Thirsk.

Ready Freddie Go is a four-time course and distance winner here off marks of 80, 81, 84 and 87 and he comes into this race having finished 3rd beaten only 1 ¼ lengths at Redcar last time off a mark of 83. The handicapper has dropped him 2lbs for that effort which is extremely generous and he should capitalize with a victory in this race.