Will Hayler's best bet
The Caped Crusader 4.30 York The selection was snapped up for a couple of thousand pounds at the sales after showing little promise as a two-year-old but has justified that patience in style over the past few weeks, landing decent handicaps at Ripon and Chester in good style. Only 4lb higher in the weights here than for his last victory, there should be even more to come now from this late-maturing sort.
Today's TV races
Mister Hughie (3.05) gets a narrow vote to bring the Redford renaissance to an end in the Bengough Stakes at Ascot.
Time and again we have seen that there is a little gap to be bridged between top-grade sprint handicaps and Group races and Redford must be accorded respect now his potential has been belatedly realised by his brilliant trainer with recent victories coming in valuable handicaps at Ayr and Ascot.
However, the gaps will need to come for him and he is likely to be over-bet for a competitive contest. Instead I prefer Mister Hughie, who has never been in better form and whose recent Beverley victory over Prohibit (who was not beaten far after a difficult passage in the Abbaye on Arc day) should not be underestimated.
York 2.15 Lightly raced and improving with experience, Brick Red has not been over-punished by the handicapper for a couple of recent successes and there is plenty to like about his prospects here.
Ascot 2.30 Had Dinkum Diamond not been badly hampered after a furlong, he might well have gone close in the Nunthorpe Stakes, but being beaten only four lengths in a Group One still makes him the form choice.
York 2.45 A move up to this marathon trip asks a new question of Folk Tune, but at this stage of career there is every chance it might prove his making.
York 3.20 Ballista did nothing wrong when third in the competitive Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy last Saturday and a repeat of that form might be good enough.
Ascot 3.40 Things have not worked out for the frustrating Prompter who was considered a Derby prospect at one time, but he looked on good terms with himself when rattling home to finish second at Ascot last week. This big field could help him to switch off in the early stages and be delivered with a timely challenge.
York 3.55 Fiendishly competitive and hard to narrow down the field. More rain would certainly help popular veteran sprinter Knot In Wood, but things did not work out for Hawkeyethenoo at Ayr three weeks ago. Granted plenty of cover and a fast early pace, he can show his true colours.
Seen and heard
Workforce's victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe "left bookies down for the day", said a Ladbrokes spokesman, whereas a Coral spokesman reported "bookies celebrating Workforce's win". He added: "Nobody backed Workforce ante-post with so many doubts surrounding his participation and even when he was confirmed as a runner, nobody backed him." Which bookie do we believe?
They say all publicity is good publicity, but is Frankie Dettori, right, selling himself a bit short? Rather than any of the glossies, the Italian is the cover star of this month's free magazine for website regtransfers.co.uk, which promises an "exclusive interview" with the "champion jockey and TV personality". As well as presumably discussing all things related to personalised number plates, Dettori is pictured riding a zebra-painted rocking horse.
Horse sense
Lambourn villagers are bracing themselves for traffic gridlock and wild celebrations today when the village plays host to the wedding of trainer Nicky Henderson's daughter, Tessa, to Charlie Giffard.
Stable staff hope to have extra cause to party the night away after Pampelonne (5.50) lines up in the concluding mares' bumper at Bangor a few hours after the ceremony.
Try not to be put off by this filly's unpromising recent form. She works like a smart horse at home and went to the Punchestown Festival back in April carrying considerable hopes only to fail to fire on the day.
At Chepstow, Barwell Bridge (4.00) is another Lambourn runner, who has been the subject of some positive talk this week. He looked a little moody on occasions last season, but certainly jumps well, goes well fresh and is considered reasonably treated for this switch to handicaps.
Roger Charlton's team are finishing the season in solid form and veteran campaigner Genki (3.05) is expected to put up a good fight on 6lb better terms with Redford than their last meeting in the Ayr Gold Cup when he lines up in the Diadem Stakes at Ascot. Stablemate Definightly should not be ignored in the same contest.
Charlton's newcomers usually come on plenty for their first start but the unraced Primevere has been exciting her trainer at home and should not be far away at Salisbury on Monday or Kempton a couple of days later. At the same track, Baptist (4.15) surprised connections a little when making a winning bow at Newbury last month, but has worked particularly well since and it looks interesting to see Andrew Balding choose to tackle Group Three company rather than bow to the temptation of exploiting a handicap mark of just 85 in nurseries.
David Lanigan's team are optimistic of a good run from Pivotal gelding Ottoman Empire (3.40) in the competitive Ladbrokes Handicap and a number of Newmarket faces have put their money where their mouths are and backed the horse in the ante-post market for today's contest.
Launchpad is an attractive chestnut gelding who usually stands out on the Heath and looks to have been found a good opportunity by Luca Cumani to break his duck at Windsor on Monday, while Complexion has come on considerably for her recent debut at Kempton and this immaculately bred filly will take plenty of beating at Salisbury the same day.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Noseda has been busy quietly putting the finishing touches to a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with Laddies Poker Two, who has not been seen since on a racecourse since cosily winning the Wokingham at Royal Ascot. At least two big-name jockeys are believed to have been involved in the mare's hush-hush preparatory work for next month's American adventure.
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