This classic week begins with something for everyone on Monday and we begin at Perth where conditions were described as good ahead of yesterday’s meeting.
Irish raider Henry Sellers carries a 7lbs penalty for scoring over 2m 4f at Hexham last week when he gave every impression a return to today’s three-mile trip would see him in an even better light. I don’t know if he has gone back to his Limerick base or stayed in Britain in the interim period, but he has been put in short enough in the betting and Millie Of Mayo (3.50) gets the vote for Nicky Richards.
The mare has not been seen since finishing third at Cartmel at the end of May and she is back down to the same mark as when scoring at Hexham back in September. Her two other career successes have come on a flat right-handed track over today’s trip, and I expect Richards to have her primed after a three-month lay-off given she is ground dependent and won’t be seen when the rain arrives. The mare is 5/1 with 10Bet.
No Fixed Charges scored at Market Rasen back in June and he is another to consider. He looks fairly treated on just his second handicap start and has been well supported in the early exchanges.
Only thirty-three horses are set to go to post at Newton Abbot for their seven race card, but the dead eight go to post for the staying handicap chase for conditionals and My Lady Grey (4.15) gets the vote with Harry Kimber taking off a valuable 8lbs. The selection’s two career wins have been gained over hurdles here on good ground and Colin Tizzard has decided to replace her normal cheekpieces with blinkers for the first time. She has only had the two starts over fences but ran very well on ground softer than ideal over C&D last time.
The 6/1 with MansionBet looks fair but at the time pof posting the rag of the field has been withdrawn leaving just two places for each way terms.
At Newcastle Spanish Kiss has disappointed on turf over 12 and 14 furlongs of late and William Knight sees fit to step his 4-y-old up in trip to two miles for the first time at Newcastle. Raymond and Margaret Dumont (4.55) are closely matched on Northumberland Vase form over today’s C&D at the end of June, but Hugo Palmer’s filly gets the vote with Tm Marquand taking over in the saddle for the first time.
The selection – 7/2 with MansionBet – has yet to win over two miles, but she certainly stays this trip, and has been running well in defeat since scoring on polytrack back in the spring.
The maiden Mushirif (5.25) has lost his last two races by a head and a neck and deserves to get his head in front. The handicapper has kept him on the same mark as for those couple of narrow defeats and the three-year-olds get a valuable 8lbs from their elders. David Egan returns to the plate having ridden the gelding when he finished second on today’s surface at Wolverhampton on his penultimate start. The 5/4 with William Hill looks skinny enough but he remains open to considerable improvement for his powerful yard.
