Welcome back Adrian Cook, aka Kettledrum of the Sporting Chronicle and Diomed of the Racing Post. Diomed, aka Adrian Cook, was the flagship tipster when the Post launched but these days is one of the Spotlight tipping team.
Consequently, Cook's features haven't graced the Post for many years. I once was on a panel as part of a Grand National forum back in the 1980s and judging by his picture on page 15 of today's edition either the Post have used an old photo or Adrian has a portrait in the attic.
This preamble is by way of saying I have to agree with his analysis of today's best betting opportunities. On the domestic front they come at Market Rasen where 2.30pm Paktolos looks the one to be on. He has never finished nearer than seventh in his races over hurdles but crucially has never run on today's fast ground over jumps and has run well on the Flat since his last try over timber.
1.30pm All that glisters could be gold
The best racing as usual is abroad today -- Britain having simply given up on Sundays -- and while Coastal Path was expected to win today's opener at Longchamp he has done so in such style that he has been cut again for the Ascot Gold Cup. He is now around the 5-1 mark and Yeats is not going to have it all his own way this year.
1.50pm Absolute disaster but not for Takeover
In Singapore Royal Ascot regular Takeover Target, who will be back here for Britain's premier Flat meeting next month, wins the KrisFlyer Sprint at Kranji racecourse. The Aussie runner was joint-favourite for the King's Stand Stakes at Ascot before this and no doubt is going to be a big threat to the home team again in that race and the Goilden Jubilee Stakes.
Hong Kong favourite Absolute Champion was considered the winner's big rival ahead of today's event but pulls up early in the race and the injury looks serious. There has been talk all week about Absolute Champion having foot problems in his build-up to the race and his sad exit will cast a shadow over what was a great performance from the winner.
2.50pm Yet another French farce
I'll wager the form of the French 2,000 Guineas won by Falco last week won't be worth a candle. A typical French farce in which they went no pace before quickening up close home. We've just seen another -- only this time worse -- in which the field in the Prix Saint-Alary didn't get going until the turn into the finishing straight. Belle Et Celebre won but file this one under waste of time.
3.00pm . . . and at Fakenham too
What is it about Fakenham? Earlier this year Denis O'Regan rode a finish a curcuit too early at the Norfolk track. There's going to be an even bigger stink now after Sam Thomas takes the wrong circuit in the 2.50 race and has to pull-up . . . on a 5-2 on shot! Thomas soon had his head in his hands after his boob. He will get a rollicking from his trainer Paul Nicholls and a ban for sure but this will be of no help to the countless punters who have backed the hot favourite Oumeyade.
There is simply no excuse. This is the smallest track in the country so O'Regan might have thought he had completed the number of circuits but Thomas has actually gone out of his way to veer off the chase course and take the wrong track. The jockey will no doubt be hit with the maximum ban but with millions of pounds lost in the betting shops after Thomas's moment of madness the question needs to be asked again: should the punishments for this kind of misdemeanour be harsher? If Thomas was riding in one of the southern hemisphere countries he would be out of work for much longer.
