John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Concert Pitch well in after Tuesday’s run
Concert Pitch has his second run of the week in the five-furlong nursery at Beverley (14:15) but it looks a good move on Brian Ellison’s part to turn him out again so soon as he showed improved form at Carlisle on Tuesday and stands out at the weights from the same mark here as a result.
Concert Pitch hasn’t got his head in front yet, but he has been runner-up four times and went closest of all at Carlisle where he ran his best race yet making his nursery debut. Making the running, he was headed only in the last fifty yards by favourite Influencer Man, going down by a neck and pulling clear of the rest.
Racing in the colours of long-standing local owner Keith Brown, Concert Pitch has the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag as from four starts already at Beverley. Two of his seconds have come at the track, as well as a third, while he faced a stiff task in the Two Year Old Trophy in his other run there. Brown’s best horse was Top Notch Tonto who won his maiden at Beverley before going on to much better things, including finishing second in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, while his two-year-old filly Perfect Part won the Hilary Needler Trophy at the track on her debut in 2024 at odds of 125/1. Concert Pitch is fully 8 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and will be hard to beat if coping with the quick turnaround.
Solar Invincible to go one better at Windsor
Billy Loughnane looks to have a good book of rides at Windsor, and he can get the evening off to a winning start on Solar Invincible in the six-furlong handicap (17:36). The jockey has a good association with Roger Teal’s gelding as he has partnered him to both of his wins, in a nursery at Chelmsford late last year and a handicap at Bath in May.
Solar Invincible has since finished a good second at Windsor in his last two starts. Loughnane was on board again on his penultimate outing when splitting a couple of next-time-out winners, Truly Glamorous and Hallandale Beach, while back over six furlongs for the first time this year, he matched that effort with Saffie Osborne taking over in the saddle for his latest run.
Taking a strong hold, Solar Invincible nonetheless kept on to finish a length second to Madman, and while he faces that rival again here, he’s 3 lb better off this time and has the benefit of a handy draw. Heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he can turn the tables.
Ruby Wedding going the right way
Salisbury have moved their Thursday card to the evening to avoid the worst of the heat, and their most interesting race is a fillies’ handicap over a mile and a half (19:34) worth more than £23,000 to the winner. Three-year-old fillies have won the last seven editions of this race, and they look the age-group to concentrate on again.
The progressive pair here are Counter Intuitive and Ruby Wedding whose respective trainers, Ed Walker and Andrew Balding, both have the ‘Hot Trainer’ flags. Counter Intuitive is bidding for a hat-trick following wins in small fields in a novice at Thirsk and handicap at Newmarket, but preference is for Ruby Wedding who is also going the right way and looks the better handicapped of the pair.
Well regarded enough to hold an Oaks entry in the spring, Ruby Wedding made an eye-catching reappearance at Sandown and has shown improved form in handicaps over longer trips on her last two starts. She got off the mark narrowly in a four-runner contest at Hamilton in June and was sent north again next time when finding only an unexposed colt, Glory Road, too good at Newcastle, keeping on when headed to go down by three quarters of a length. Ruby Wedding heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings with further improvement to come and she can land this good prize under apprentice Alfie Redman who takes 7 lb off her back and rode a winner for the yard at Newmarket last week.
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