The day-to-day action this week inevitably looks a little thin with the fields for an outstanding weekend in Ireland, Britain and France starting to take shape, but there are some interesting and competitive contests sprinkled around today’s four cards with Rigoletto (3.40) making most appeal in the one-mile handicap at Chepstow this afternoon.
Luca Cumani’s three-year-old won off a mark of 79 on his handicap debut at Newmarket in June and has suggested in both his runs since that a win from a new mark in the mid-80s is not beyond him. He got going too late at Salisbury last time out before finishing strongly to get within a length of the winner, and the horse that followed him home was a winner next time out.
The small field on Wednesday is a slight worry as Rigoletto looks like a horse who will be best when closing on a decent pace, but a couple of his rivals have raced prominently in the past and there is little else to discourage a bet at around 7-4.
Starshell (5.10) is lightly raced and has improved significantly this year for a step up to a mile-and-a-half, and his two starts on the all-weather this season suggest he is well handicapped off 64 for his debut on turf. Mouchee (6.25), who improved to finish second in a strongly run race last time out, catches the eye on the card at Kempton Park this evening along with Morello (5.20), while On Alberts Head (3.00) and Tynecastle Park (4.30) stand out over the jumps at Southwell.
Greg Wood’s Wednesday tips
Chepstow 2.10 Mushahadaat 2.40 Sweet Pursuit 3.10 Majboor 3.40 Rigoletto (nap) 4.10 David’s Beauty 4.40 Seven Clans 5.10 Starshell (nb)
Lingfield 1.50 Ejayteekay 2.20 Duchess Of Fife 2.50 Sula Island 3.20 Golden Image 3.50 Global Exceed 4.20 Expelled 4.55 Society Power 5.25 Hindsight
Southwell 2.00 Miami Present 2.30 Ozzy Thomas 3.00 On Alberts Head 3.30 Braavos 4.00 Air Squadron 4.30 Tynecastle Park 5.00 Rococo Style
Kempton Park 5.20 Morello 5.55 Appease 6.25 Mouchee 6.55 Ortiz 7.25 Tamih 7.55 Narjes 8.25 Artful Rogue 8.55 General Allenby
