Matt Brocklebank returns to preview the Bank Holiday Monday racing.
TIRIAC might just consent to settle a little better now he's had the two runs to take the sting out of him, having again raced freely early on at Leicester last week. He's only ever won a maiden but that doesn't really do him justice as he was a good third here at Windsor off a 3lb higher mark in October and holds every chance on that piece of form with Amazonian Dream. The cheekpieces (off so far this term) are back on and his yard is in fine form so there's loads to like including his ability to handle soft ground.
It's well worth sticking with HOSTELRY at Beverley. She stayed on strongly to make a winning seasonal return at Thirsk and backed that up with a very solid third at Ripon, finishing just a length and a half behind the red-hot (subsequent winner) Do I Dream. Ruth Carr's mare has been nudged up another couple of pounds but is evidently in great heart and she's eased in class here, with a good draw to boot (stall four).
IRISH LULLABY rates the banker bet on the Bank Holiday card at Warwick. A well-bred daughter of Nathaniel who was rated 96 and Listed-placed on the level for Jessica Harrington last year, she made a promising start over jumps at Market Rasen late last month and this looks a pretty straightforward task if going the right way from that introductory outing.
HOTAUGUSTNIGHT made quite an encouraging start for her new stable when fourth over this course and distance last week and, with the cheekpieces worn for some of her best efforts for previous connections back in place, she looks worth another chance off the same mark. There's not much pace on in this event and Luke Morris - who takes over from Finley Marsh in the saddle - should be able to dictate the pace which make the Camelot filly hard to pass on ground we know she'll handle.
Jumping remains a bit of an issue but GALAHAD QUEST could certainly win this if putting in a reasonable round of fencing, having slipped to an attractive mark and had wind surgery since his last outing at Newbury in March. He was well held there but had shaped relatively well on his first two starts of the campaign and good ground will play to his strengths at Kempton. He won on good ground - off this exact mark of 127 - at Warwick last February and he might be in for a productive summer.
Seeyouinmydreams is clearly going to be popular here for Nicholls and Cobden but it could pay to side with LA GOMERA instead. She doesn't seem to like cut in the ground but her good-ground form reads 122 - the victory admittedly coming in a three-mile point-to-point. She was well held on handicap debut last time at Hereford (good to soft) but has a leading chance here on her previous runner-up effort to Ascot Martini in a mares' maiden. Importantly, conditions look like being in her favour with little or no rain forecast in the area.
Conditions remain on the soft side at Ffos Las and that's going to suit IONITY, who had a couple of quiet runs around here in decent novices last season before showing considerable improvement on his handicap debut at Hereford last month. He's gone up 2lb in the ratings and it will be interesting to see how Shillanavogy gets on in the race before Ionity's, but regardless of that result Evan Williams' horse looks on an upward curve now and can take another step forward to open his account under Adam Wedge.
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