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2.05 - William Hill Pick Your Places Handicap (7f)
Trainer David O'Meara has won this race twice in the last seven years and he relies on the consistent and likable Escobar. The seven-year-old has returned from a spring stint in Dubai in good form and was only narrowly denied when third in the 27-runner Victoria Cup at Ascot (7f, soft) this month. He's 4lb higher but should remain competitive.
Repartee has faltered since winning a Windsor Listed race (6f, good to firm) on last season's return. Kevin Ryan's charge has undergone a wind op since last month's Newmarket run and he could be one to outrun his price if that procedure helps him.
Ajyaall only had three runs last season in novice company but he clearly has plenty going for him after two wins. He steps up into much tougher company on this seasonal return for William Haggas, whose team are thriving, and a major challenge shouldn't come as a shock despite the extra demands.
ZIP was very consistent last season on soft ground and, following a winning return on the all-weather at Newcastle in April, he made a bold bid from the front in the aforementioned Victoria Cup at Ascot a fortnight ago, eventually finishing one place behind Escobar in fourth. He can go well again for Richard Fahey, with Billy Garrity doing the steering and claiming 3lb this time.
2.40 - William Hill Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes (Group 3, 1m6f)
It's been a productive 12 months for MIGHTY BLUE since she arrived from France to join Joseph O'Brien's string. She won a Curragh handicap (1m4f, soft) off 96 in August under today's rider Dylan McMonagle and was also placed in a Group 3 there over two-miles in September.
A hurdles campaign followed and, while she was winless in four starts, a Cheltenham Festival third behind Telmesomethinggirl was a decent way to round it off. She didn't quite fire in a Cork Listed race soon after returned to the level, but has since dotted up in the same grade at Gowran Park on yielding ground.
That came over this trip and was hugely encouraging. She's well worth a crack in this grade and can give her talented young rider the dream first experience in what is his maiden appearance on UK soil.
Fellow Irish raider Flor De La Luna had looked quite promising prior to being tailed off in that same Gowran Park event (was 3/1 favourite) and Jessica Harrington's charge could very well leave that behind her.
The home team is led by Roger Varian's Believe In Love. She ended a pleasing 2020 campaign by winning a Group 3 in France on heavy ground in October. She also has winning form on fast ground and won't mind conditions. She is shown to go well fresh and still has more to offer in all probability, ensuring she's much respected despite a 3lb penalty.
The Varian team are in flying form and the same can be said of Hughie Morrison's string. He saddles the other seasonal debutante Urban Artist. She was progressive in three turf wins last season before finding a stablemate of Mighty Blue's too strong in the Listed Beckford Stakes at Bath on final start (Makawee behind in fifth). Urban Artist is another that may have more to come this season.
3.15 - William Hill Extra Place Races Handicap (1m4f)
Wise Eagle has really taken flight since joining Adam Nicol in the winter, posting figures of 212111 in a variety of disciplines. Last month he won successive Catterick handicaps (1m4f/1m6f, good to firm) and he cannot be dismissed in his current mood. He's off a career-high mark now however and rises in grade too.
Top-weight Live Your Dream returned from an absence of 571 days to win a 1m2f Newcastle all-weather handicap last month for Saeed bin Suroor in the Godolphin blue. He's only 2lb higher here and looks set to appreciate this longer trip back on grass.
Dubai Instinct took the bronze medal over C&D 10 days ago at the Dante Meeting, defying odds of 80/1 in the process and suggesting he can win races for new handler Mick Easterby. He's nudged up in the ratings for that, but is one to keep an eye on.
THORN is given a chance to shine in a wide open race. He returned to winning ways at Lingfield (dead-heated) in April on his first try at this trip and ran well again there this month from this mark when third in a race where he didn't quite get a favourable passage.
The first-time blinkers he wore there are retained (also sports the hood he wore in AW win again now) and he's unexposed at this distance. He can handle some cut in the ground and should give a solid account at an each-way price.
3.50 - williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap (5f)
A tough sprint to sort out. Copper Knight was victorious over C&D nine days ago in determined fashion for Tim Easterby and the reliable seven-year-old wouldn't be one to discount despite a 5lb rise. Runner-up Mulzim is a couple of pounds better off for a slender defeat that day and has fair claims again with a repeat showing.
SPOOF went off prominent in the betting at Epsom last month and it appeared as though Charlie Hills' charge didn't quite handle the demands of that track. The run should have at least sharpened him up as it was his first back from a break.
He had really come to life last autumn, winning three times on the spin at Windsor and Sandown over this minimum trip on ground ranging from soft/good. He's still not badly treated on the best of his older form and so it might be worth taking a view that Epsom simply wasn't for him. He gets the nod as an each-way contender here.
Hurricane Ivor ran well in some Listed sprints in France and has joined a top UK handler in William Haggas. The four-year-old is well worth monitoring on this first outing for new connections, especially with the stable in such excellent form right now.
4.20 - William Hill EBF Restricted Novice Stakes (6f)
Only three of the nine contenders have raced before, so the market will certainly be a valuable aid.
Robjon won a Brighton maiden on debut over shorter last month. The Mukhadram colt is a half-brother to plenty winners and it certainly is likely that Richard Hannon's charge has significantly more to offer after that winning bow, assuming he copes with the slower ground.
There's also plenty reason to be suspect that SHALADAR will improve for his debut third at Doncaster (5f, good) three weeks ago. Not much went right for him in the early stages on Town Moor but he eventually pulled well clear of the remainder while unable to get to the front pair and he looks the sort to improve for this extra furlong.
Pepperwort, Royal Patronage and Guilded are three of the notable newcomers on paper. Archie Watson's Mehmas colt Pepperwort saw his price rise to £40,000 as a yearling and he's certainly bred to have the speed for this initial test. Any money coming for him on debut would have to be heeded.
4.55 - Reg Bond 'Always And Forever' Handicap (1m)
YORKSHIRE LADY is now 2-3 in handicaps after readily accounting for an in-form rival in Celestial Queen at Ripon (1m, good to soft) earlier in the month. She had ended last term with a 7f heavy-ground Leicester win and commenced this one with a close-up second at Beverley (7½f, good to firm).
She seemingly acts on all surfaces and while she briefly looked in trouble around two-furlongs from home at Ripon, she ultimately powered through the line with plenty in hand.
She has more on her plate now, but looks to be going the right way and this improving three-year-old can defy the assessor.
The hat-trick-seeking Blu Boy has made short work of his rivals in wins at Newcastle (AW) and Beverley (7½f, good to firm) recently. There are questions to be answered if the ground veers towards soft, while the handicapper has also taken a dim view of those wide-margin wins and he finds himself 11lb higher in the ratings here.
The Flying Ginger is a previous soft-ground C&D winner from just 3lb lower in the weights and Roger Fell's charge should find this assignment more to his liking after struggling in Listed races at Newmarket either side of his winter recess. He's still quite unexposed as a miler and commands plenty interest back in this sphere.
5.25 - Hudson Quarter York Palace Capital Handicap (Gentleman Amateur Jockeys, 7f)
Super Den ended last season on the up, twice going close at Doncaster over 7f/1m on testing ground. He was clear of a couple of subsequent winners in the second of those runs and, if he's ready to roll after six months off, has strong claims of getting his maiden win on the board now.
After three runs last year, Julie Camacho's WEATHER FELL is amongst the least exposed of these runners and so it's worth taking a chance he'll have more to offer now sent handicapping. He finished third at Thirsk (1m, good to soft) on his debut last summer, a run that bodes well in terms of his chances here.
The form looks reliable and he'll encounter similar conditions now, while that also highlighted he should be able to produce his best after a break.
Frankelio, Magical Effect and Colonel Whitehead are others that merit plenty respect in a challenging finale for the amateur riders.
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