A visually impressive winner of the Derby on Saturday with the winner clocking a fast time under an inspired ride by the excellent Adam Kirby. I thought at least a couple of the leading contenders were given odd rides in defeat with Frankie Dettori’s aboard John Leeper frankly quite bizarre. I am sure the irony was not lost on many in the weighing room.
There is a terrific 10f handicap for three-year-olds at Leicester this afternoon where the ground was described as good to firm on Sunday morning. The ground was considered too quick for Oz Legend at Doncaster on Saturday – described as good to firm – and Hugo Palmer will be hoping for a shower or two ahead of racing.
Surefire (2.00) finished a short head in front of Oz Legend when runner up to Siskany at Windsor back in April and the winner is now rated 96. The selection – and Oz Legend for that matter – look favourably treated from a stone lower mark and he gets the vote returning from a seven-week absence. The recommendation is 10/3 with Boylesports.
Goldie Hawk (7.00) has finished in the money on her two starts so far this term including when finishing runner up over this evening’s C&D at Windsor on her reappearance from a 2lbs lower mark. Miss Mulligan has been campaigned exclusively on soft/heavy ground on turf since her racecourse debut and trainer George Scott must believe his Gleneagles filly needs a bit of cut to be seen at her best. Conditions were described as good on Sunday morning with no further rain expected. Goldie Hawk has been backed into 6/4 from an openning 2/1 with 10Bet.
Sea Sylph (7.30) holds entries in both the Ribblesdale and the Irish Oaks, and she is taken to land the 10f maiden for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. The selection – 11/10 with MansionBet – finished runner up over a mile on soft ground at Doncaster on her sole juvenile start and has obviously been slow to come to hand this year. Note the winner of that race on Town Moor – Vesela – has not been seen since but is entered in a listed race at Newbury on Thursday.
At Pontefract this evening Puckle (7.45) carries a 5lbs penalty for scoring at Nottingham last week in first-time cheekpieces and Mark Johnston keeps the aid this evening. That victory ended a frustrating run for the filly, and she runs from a career high mark tonight, but I feel she can defy the rise. Joe Fanning keeps the ride on the filly who is 5/2 with MansionBet.
