Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Half-time for the Racing League
We are now halfway through the 2025 Racing League, with The East team - led by Charlie Fellowes – currently 16 points clear of Matt Chapman’s London & The South outfit ahead of race week 4’s stop at Windsor on Thursday evening.
The North currently props up the table and team captain Mick Quinn will be hoping that the Timeform verdict team are wide of the mark, as his side don’t get the nod in any of Thursday’s seven races.
Instead, it’s London & The South and The East who take the lion’s share of verdicts with two apiece.
The pick of them could be The East’s Mr Swivell, a ‘Horse In Focus’ who was strong at the finish when making it 3-5 for Kevin Philippart de Foy at Wolverhampton last month, leaving the impression that he is worth another crack at this trip.
Despite making most on his last three starts, Mr Swivell appears to be pretty versatile tactics-wise – which is a good job as a ‘strong’ Timeform pace prediction suggests that Mostawaa and Silent Age may go forward in this 10f handicap (8.00) - and a 6 lb rise for that recent success looks manageable.
Battle of the Horses In Focus
The pick of the races on Thursday evening could be the 0-95 sprint handicap (6.30) which sees Horses In Focus King of Light and Montezuma take on 10 rivals.
King of Light was having his first start for Stuart Williams since leaving Karl Burke when staying on powerfully a week ago at Chepstow on his first try over six furlongs. He can race off the same BHA mark of 87 here (2 lb higher in future) and looks the type to win races over this distance, it's worth remembering that he was quick enough to win over the minimum trip on quick ground at Musselburgh last season.
Montezuma was fourth in that Chepstow race - he travelled well closer to the pace before being run out of things late on - and is another recruit (started his career with Charlie Appleby) who looks sure to win races for his current yard.
Of the pair, King of Light looks to hold strongest claims, with his prior solid efforts in listed company suggesting that he may be the more likely to win in this 0-95 grade than his fellow three-year-old.
Trust in Weld at Cork once again
Over at Cork, the listed NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes (6.52) and the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes (7.22) add a touch of class to proceedings, and are races in which Dermot Weld - the top trainer at the course who has won with half of his four runners there this season - has excelled.
The experienced handler won three of four renewals of the Platinum Stakes between 2015 and 2018, and it looks significant that Colin Keane may put up a couple of pounds overweight in order to ride Fingerpaint in this year’s renewal.
Fingerpaint followed in her sister Samburu’s footsteps when winning on debut back in May, overcoming her inexperience when landing a 12-runner maiden at the Curragh by a neck from Collecting Coin (winner next time).
“I thought she was a stakes filly when I rode her at Juddmonte, before she came to us”, said Chris Hayes, her jockey that day, and he may be proven right on Thursday evening.
Half an hour later, Elizabeth Jane bids to give Weld a ninth win in the Give Thanks Stakes.
She looks the one to beat on weight-adjusted ratings, the Dubawi filly having won well at Leopardstown on her final start at three before a pleasing enough reappearance fourth at the Curragh in June.
Though yet to win over this far, the master handler is sure that this distance will suit - “I think a mile and a half will be her best trip. Group level [races] over that trip will be no problem for her next year” - and who are we to argue?
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