2.30 Porta Fortuna looks a good starting point given she battled on well to win a Group 3 race last time out & the one she beat Navassa Island is back to try her look once again. Matrika was a bit of a drifter in the market on debut , but won easily enough , the form of that race looks decent with the 3rd winning next time out. Of the home based runners Jabaara looks the pick given the way she was backed on debut and justified that support in style
3.05 Little Big Bear was hugely impressive last time out with the 3rd winning the Group 1 King’s Stand on day 1 , he looks tough to go against. Shaquille is a fast improver this season but this is higher quality opposition this time. Sakheer drops back to sprinting and is probably the main danger to Little Big Bear
3.40 Teumessias Fox is the current favourite as I write this but I can’t help thinking he has got plenty on his plate being raised 17lbs for 2 wins this season. Al Nafir is another last time out winner , but he has been hit with a double figure weights rise after that win and he has it to do after a layoff too. Okita Soushi is another to the head of the market and brings Group form into this race , but as I mentioned yesterday his stable are scatter gunning this meeting with very little success. One I do like is Maksud who is on a decent weight and has the assistance of Marquand who was man of the moment on Day 3. He has a nice pipe opener at Chester ( never put into the race ) and should be match fit for this
4.20 Tahiyra brings the best form into this , but at odds on she is not easy to miss. Meditate gave the favourite a race at the Curragh but she was picked off easily enough and it’s difficult to see how he can turn that form around. Sounds Of Heaven might be the one at the bigger prices given her stable’s results in this race ( won it in 2018 & 2020 ) Probably a race to watch in my view
5.00 Coppice is too the fore of this market and being so unexposed from a top yard/connections you can see why , but her form is ordinary and she has something to find in my view. Jackie Oh is a superbly bred filly and she looked a little unlucky not to be a bit closer in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time out , trying her luck in a handicap looks a smart move off this mark. Both Dream Of Love & Embrace come into this having contested the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket , but neither made that much of an impression and even thought this is a drop in class they need to improve
5.35 This looks a straight forward opportunity for King Of Steel having looked for most of the last furlong in the Derby as the winner. Both Arrest & Artistic Star were well behind that day , but both seemed to find the day getting to them in the parade and they could well turn the tables if in a better frame of mind
6.10 An extremely tricky closing race and a wide open look to it. Hispanic looked a bit of a world beater when scoring at the Curragh last summer , this season he has found listed company a bit too hot and could find this much easier. Clearpoint was another useful looking juvenile and didn’t get the clearest of runs on seasonal debut , a visor though puts me off. Walbank is another class dropper with a new bit of headgear that could have a squeak
Advised Bets
3.05 Little Big Bear 2pt win @ 11’10
3.40 Maksud 1pt ew @ 6’1 firms offering 5 places
5.00 Jackie Oh 1pt ew @ 11’2 Paddy Power 7 places
6.10 Hispanic 1/2 pt ew @ 12’1 firms offering 6 places