Epsom Downs racecourse makes a mark on the wider sporting public’s consciousness on one day each year but there are few better places to be on a fine summer evening than the home of the Derby, which stages a low-key six-race card on Thursday evening.
As ever at this track, course form is a significant point in favour of any runner and Highland Acclaim (7.15) is consolidating his position at the top of the market for the most valuable race on the card after his main market rival, Major Pusey, was scratched on the morning of the race.
David O’Meara’s gelding has gone 13 starts without a win since his success from a mark of 87 over Thursday’s course and distance last August. He raced off a mark in the 90s after that victory but is now back to 85 and showed definite signs of a return to his best form when second, in a good time, at Thirsk last time out. That was his first start in a hood since July 2016 and if it has a similar effect today, a price of around 5-2 looks very fair.
Silver Ghost (7.50) has yet to experience Epsom’s gradients but he ran well at Goodwood, another downland course, last time out, and has only eight runs behind him to date, so should still have some progress to come. Only the latest three of those runs were for his in-form current trainer, Eve Johnson Houghton, and he has obvious prospects of becoming her third winner from only a handful of runners this month.
Elsewhere, Lunar Deity (2.50) could complete a hat-trick when he lines up for the one-mile handicap at Yarmouth, where he romped home by 10 lengths in mid-June. Himalayan Queen (3.20) is fairly priced at around 100-30 later on the same card, while Our Man In Havana (3.00) could go well at decent odds in the first nursery handicap of the season at Haydock.
Tips for Thursday’s races
Yarmouth: 1.50 Hey Gaman 2.20 Glorvina 2.50 Lunar Deity (nb) 3.20 Himalayan Queen 3.50 Double Spin 4.20 Daira Prince 4.50 Shining Romeo
Haydock: 2.00 La Celebs Ville 2.30 Green Fortune 3.00 Our Man In Havana 3.30 Falcon’s Vision 4.00 Manners Please 4.30 Jack Flash 5.00 Foxy Boy
Perth: 2.10 Blue Comet 2.40 Camillas Wish 3.10 Clondaw Banker 3.40 Henpecked 4.10 Deauville Dancer 4.40 Vercingetorix 5.10 Arizona Bound
Newbury: 5.55 Lightoller 6.25 Golden Footsteps 7.00 Oliver Reed 7.30 Duke Of Bronte 8.05 Beck And Call 8.35 Revel 9.05 Thello
Epsom Downs: 6.10 Light Of Air 6.45 Shawwal 7.15 Highland Acclaim (nap) 7.50 Silver Ghost 8.20 Buckland Beau 8.50 Noble Peace
