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The Guardian - UK

Sport

Will Hayler and Tony Paley

Talking Horses

Veteran gelding The Tatling could register a win at the grand old age of 14 today at Yarmouth. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt

1.30pm Heffernan gets call-up for So You Think

Will Hayler: The punter who forced the closing of the sponsors' book as to who would ride So You Think in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse when attempting to place £5,000 on Kieren Fallon has been proved wide of the mark with confirmation this morning that Seamie Heffernan will take the mount aboard the well-backed favourite in Saturday's appetising clash with last year's Derby and Arc winner Workforce.

Heffernan replaces Ryan Moore, who has ridden the ex-Aussie superstar in his last two starts, but is retained by Workforce's trainer Sir Michael Stoute. Don't expect Moore to answer any questions about comparing the two horses ahead of Saturday's race though. It's not a subject he's itching to talk about.

Workforce will require a decent pace if his chances of victory are to be maximised and stablemate Confront has also been declared in a five-runner field, the other pair being Snow Fairy – for whom Johnny Murtagh has been booked – and last year's runner-up Sir Putra. Interestingly, O'Brien withdrew all three of his other possible runners in the race, heaping plenty of tactical responsibility on to Heffernan's shoulders.

Paddy Power make So You Think the 8-11 favourite, with Workforce next at (a best-priced) 2-1 and Snow Fairy 7-1.

Today's best bets, by Will Hayler

Excitement is building among the members of the The Tatling's (4.10) fan club on Facebook that today might be the day that the teenager finds the winning touch again.

It's more than seven years since he enjoyed a finest hour at Royal Ascot when taking the King's Stand Stakes, but he gave trainer Milton Bradley a number of other great thrills, not least a first ever visit to France when the horse had finished third in the Prix de l'Abbaye the year previously.

I was working at Longchamp that day and the look on Milton's face when he told journalists about how he and his daughter had tried to negotiate the Arc de Triomphe roundabout with his old horsebox told a story in itself. He said he'd be finding a different route back to the ferry.

The Tatling hasn't won a race since he registered three victories in 2009, but bar an aborted attempt to retire him last year, he's been running to a reasonably consistent level since and the handicapper has only been able to ease his grip fairly steadily.

Liam Keniry has gone pretty close on a couple of spins recently, but today at Yarmouth it's the turn of Hayley Turner to try and work her magic and in this lowly 0-60 handicap it's surely not just fanciful to imagine that everything might fall into place for The Tatling.

Pocket's Pick can set the early fractions before lack of peak fitness finds him out, then Imaginary Diva takes over before leaving the door open for The Tatling's late charge through the pack. Oh, all right, maybe there is an element of wishful thinking here, but nevertheless The Tatling won't get many easier chances than this.

Elsewhere on the Yarmouth card, Apostle (2.10) can set Turner off on the right footing for the rest of the day by belatedly breaking his duck, while Selinda (3.10) should take the beating in the seller in which Flying Pickets is a non-runner (presumably gone to help with the teachers' strike – boom boom!)

Steve Drowne produced one of the rides of the season to steal a valuable handicap from the front aboard Al Kazeem at Newbury last month and the form of that race is working out very, very well. State Opera (9.00) was one of the horses who finished in the pack that day, unable to get to grips with the skilfully ridden winner. He's still got plenty to prove returned to the track this evening, but that's reflected in his double-figure price and I'll take the chance.

The other small bet I've had this evening is at Epsom where Khazium (6.50) can belatedly build upon the promise shown at Windsor on his debut. He was was all the rage in the betting at Lingfield for his next start and took up the running over a furlong out only to drift towards the centre of the track under pressure and give the race away. Stamina for seven furlongs doesn't seem to be a problem, so if the application of a visor corrects his steering issues, then he should be tough to beat this evening.

Tipping competition, day four

The 7.00 at Fairyhouse was an Irish race too far, as the 12-1 winner (Like Magic) went untipped, even though the great Seamie Heffernan was on board. Kudos to jaygee1, who picked both the day's other winners, South Wing (7-2) and Golden Future (100-30).

Today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 3.50 Perth, 4.00 Haydock, 7.25 Epsom.

This week's prize is a copy of Crossfire, the latest Dick Francis book (written by the great man's son, Felix). It centres on the story of a British army captain, injured out of the war in Afghanistan, who finds that life in a Lambourn training stable poses dangers of its own. If you don't win this week, you can buy a copy here.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

For terms and conditions click here.

Good luck!