We round up the best bets from our Timeform analysts for Saturday's action at Chepstow, Chester, the Curragh, Newcastle and York.
STARDOM GLORY - 14.02 Chester (Simon Baker)
The top two in the betting are fighting it out for favouritism in this novice, but Stardom Glory’s pair of seconds at York looking marginally stronger form than The Dancing Pirate’s fourths at Newmarket and Beverley. Deputy Vice isn’t out of it judged on what he did over this C&D on his debut, but he wasn’t so good last time and is drawn widest, whereas Stardom Glory has stall 1 as another thing in his favour.
WHO’S LOPE – 15.38 York (Simon Walker)
Backing unexposed 3-y-os against exposed older horses has long since been a profitable angle in handicaps and, whilst the weight-for-age scale doesn’t favour the younger group quite so much as it once did, the bias is more noticeable over longer distances. Who’s Lope is one of two 3-y-os in this race and, whilst My Ballyquinn is also interesting, it’s Andrew Balding’s runner that has the greater potential for improvement. He’s taken big jumps forward with each of his 3 runs so far, relishing the step up to 1½m when overturning the odds-on Urchin in a maiden at Beverley at the end of May. This further increase in distance will be in his favour given the way he’s been shaping – he’s a half-brother to the stable’s useful stayer Who’s Glen – and Who’s Lope also has the added bonus of Oisin Murphy taking the ride for the first time.
KNOCK THREE TIMES - 16.23 Newcastle (David Johnson)
Knock Three Times has done more than enough to suggest she'll win a race or 2 this year and this looks a good piece of placement by Jamie Osborne with his filly in receipt of weight from all of her rivals. She made a promising debut when second at Nottingham, working her way to the front (traded at 1.01) but caught in the dying strides and then had the misfortune to run into the Albany fourth at Goodwood last time. What she's already achieved makes her the pick of these and she could yet step up. Similar comments apply to Barnaby Rudge who was a rare Fanshaw 2-y-o debutant winner, but he's got to give the selection 11 lb and while Papercut catches the eye on pedigree for Andrew Balding - the stable have so far this year been nothing like the force with 2-y-os as they have with 3-y-os and older horses.
NO KNEE NEVER - 16.50 York (Rory King)
There’s a solid – if not clear-cut – case to be made for No Knee Never on form in this amateur riders’ race, but what he really does have in his favour is a yard going great guns and, moreover, a jockey who’s miles ahead of his peers in this type of race and who the market still hasn’t fully cottoned onto yet. What’s more, he’s ridden this horse 3 times already, each one resulting in a comfortable success, and although No Knee Never is yet to win on turf, he’s shown enough of late since being stepped up in trip to think a race like this could be within reach, particularly with his regular cheekpieces refitted after an experiment in a hood over an even longer trip under a particularly inexperienced amateur last time.
THE PIPER'S CALL - 17.05 Curragh (Stu Jones)
Plenty in with chances in what is traditionally a strongly-contested sprint handicap, but few look to have quite as compelling claims as the thrice-raced The Piper's Call. His maiden form last year has been franked handsomely since, most notably when runner-up here on debut, where he had a couple of subsequent Group winners directly in behind, including the now very smart Puerto Rico. He proved his wellbeing after an 11-month absence when landing a C&D maiden earlier in the month and the handicapper certainly doesn't look to have overreacted, with a mark of 82 appealing as a lenient one even if judged solely on what he's already achieved. The likes of Sommelier and Inishfallen (especially with Colin Keane booked) command plenty of respect but both lack the potential of Daniel McLoughlin's runner.
STARBORN LEGEND - 17.40 The Curragh (Billy Nash)
There will be many better races run, on both sides of the Irish Sea, over the course of this weekend than the concluding maiden on the Curragh card - but there won't be many with stronger claims than Starborn Legend. Joseph O'Brien's son of Starspangledbanner shaped much better than the bare result would suggest here on debut, finishing full of running in a never-nearer sixth in the maiden won by The Piper's Call having met plenty of trouble. He is expected to turn around that form with a couple that finished in front of him and, while a low draw isn't ideal, should be very hard to beat with the benefit of that experience under his belt.
ACT OF VIOLENCE – 20.05 Chepstow (Phil Thompson)
Act Of Violence has not been pulling up any trees of late, in truth he has barely grasped a dandelion over the past 12 months, but his mark has duly tumbled and he now drops into a 0–55 for the first time. That alone makes him of interest, but the more compelling angle is the switch to a yard operating at over a 20% strike rate in handicaps with recruits from other stables and currently in strong form. The fact he holds multiple entries in the coming days hints that this could be the starting point of a concerted run, and in a race of this nature he makes plenty of appeal.
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