John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Secret Secret bids to complete hat-trick in Cartmel contest
Cartmel trainer Jimmy Moffatt and former champion Brian Hughes teamed up for a double at the trainer’s local track on Saturday, including in the card’s most valuable event, the Cartmel Crystal Cup Handicap Hurdle. The same pairing look set for further success there on Monday with Secret Secret in the first division of the handicap hurdle over two and three quarter miles (14:12).
Secret Secret has the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag as he has done most of his racing at Cartmel since joining Moffatt, boasting three wins over course and distance. His last two wins have come in this corresponding race, with his success twelve months ago gained by nine lengths on unseasonably heavy ground under his former regular jockey Charlotte Jones who retired from the saddle after Cartmel’s late-May meeting.
Hughes took over on Secret Secret for the first time at Cartmel last month, and while Secret Secret wasn’t at his best, that was in a higher-grade race than today’s and he charted a course on the inner on a day when plenty were avoiding that part of the track. Conditions clearly won’t be anything like as testing as they were twelve months ago, but Secret Secret has plenty of form on better ground and, heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he’s expected to make a bold bid to win this contest for the third time.
Jordan Electrics best of Goldie trio in Cup Trial
Ayr’s card features the Ayr Gold Cup Trial (15:30) in which Jim Goldie fields three of the nine runners. Apprentice riders partner two of Goldie’s runners but Paul Mulrennan takes the ride on veteran Jordan Electrics who looks the most interesting of his stable’s trio.
The ten-year-old has won 16 races in his career, four of them at Ayr. He has contested the last two editions of the Ayr Gold Cup itself, finishing fifth in 2024, and was third in the previous season’s Ayr Bronze Cup. Jordan Electrics enjoyed a tremendous season in 2024 when he won seven races, five of them under Mulrennan, going up over two stone in the handicap, but has paid for that success as he hasn’t managed to get his head in front since.
However, the handicapper is cutting him some slack again now and he ran his best recent race at Hamilton last Friday when third to the close finishers Strike Red and Ferrous in the Scottish Stewards’ Cup. Racing off a 2 lb lower mark here, Jordan Electrics heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. He has worn a hood in the past, but cheekpieces go on for the first time and he shouldn’t be far away again.
Amazonian Dream can end losing run
Much like Jordan Electrics, Amazonian Dream is another sprint handicapper who has gone a long time without a win, but recent signs have been encouraging, and he looks capable of getting his head in front in Windsor’s qualifier for their Sprint Series (19:20).
Very much a course regular these days, Amazonian Dream has gained three of his eight career wins at Windsor for Rod Millman who has his string in good form, having the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag. Amazonian Dream has found only one too good in his last couple of runs at Windsor in recent weeks, both times ridden by Oisin Murphy who will therefore be bidding to make it third time lucky on him this evening. They didn’t have much luck last Monday when Amazonian Dream didn’t get much daylight at a crucial stage before running on once switched to finish a length and a half behind well-treated rival Under The Twilight.
Amazonian Dream is 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and, given a clear run, he can get his head back in front again and turn the tables on another course regular Lequinto who got the better of him here at the end of June but is worse off at the weights now.
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