Tony McFadden of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Beckett has superb Ffos Las strike rate
Since the start of 2019 Ralph Beckett has operated at a strike rate of 17.47% in British and Irish Flat races, but that figure increases markedly when focusing only on his runners at Ffos Las.
In the same period, Beckett has had 12 winners from just 35 runners at Ffos Las at an excellent strike rate of 34.29%. The only course where he has a higher strike rate is Wetherby (60%) but that's from a very small sample size of three winners from five runners.
Beckett sends three horses on the journey from his Hampshire base to West Wales on Tuesday and will presumably be disappointed if he doesn't have at least one winner as Bold Impact is likely to be a warm order in the seven-furlong maiden (15:05) after shaping well on both starts at six furlongs and looking in need of a stiffer test.
The opening amateur jockeys' handicap (14:35) is likely to be a more competitive event but Beckett's representative, Roost, isn't without a chance. He's been disappointing this year and looks to be going through the motions, but his only success to date came at this course last season and he is now 1 lb lower in the weights. He'll also have the assistance of experienced amateur Simon Walker in the saddle, so it would be little surprise were he to prove competitive.
Quercus bidding for sixth course-and-distance success
All five of Quercus' victories have been achieved around Catterick's sharp six furlongs and he went close to achieving course-and-distance win number six when only denied by half a length a couple of weeks ago.
Quercus had failed to beat a rival on his first couple of starts over course and distance this season but, with the Ann Duffield stable in better form than had been the case earlier in the summer, he was right back on song last time.
He's edged up just 1 lb for his latest effort which means he's only 1 lb higher than his last winning mark. He looks set to launch another bold bid from the front in this class 6 handicap (16:00) around a track that clearly plays to his strengths (he unsurprisingly has Timeform's Horses For Courses Flag).
Slevin and O'Brien aim to enhance Roscommon record
It was a Galway Festival to remember for Joseph O'Brien who equalled Willie Mullins' tally of five winners for the week. Only one of O'Brien's winners came over jumps, but it was in one of the Festival's feature contests as Nurburgring ran out a decisive winner of the Galway Hurdle under JJ Slevin.
O'Brien and Slevin will be teaming up and hoping for further success, albeit at a lower level, at Roscommon on Tuesday and it is a venue where they have fared well together in recent years.
Since the start of 2019 O'Brien and Slevin have teamed up 11 times at Roscommon and had five winners at a strike rate in excess of 45%. They could have up to three chances on Tuesday - depending on whether reserve Duke Silver gets a run in division one of the maiden hurdle - but the standout chance is with San Salvador in the beginners' chase (19:00).
San Salvador, a useful sort over hurdles, has an absence to overcome as he's not been seen since finishing fourth on his chasing debut at Limerick 14 months ago, but he makes his return at a time when the yard is going well and in a race O'Brien and Slevin won last year with Gracchus de Balme.
Tip of the Day
Arkhalia Flynn - 16:50 Ffos Las
Flags: Horse In Focus, Top-Rated
Arkhalia Flynn made a successful handicap debut at Haydock last month, winning with more in hand than the margin of a head might suggest after conceding first run, and he then performed creditably when third at Yarmouth two weeks later. He was beaten by a couple of rivals who had also won their previous start, giving the form a solid feel, and he can perhaps have his effort upgraded slightly as he raced further off the steady pace than the pair who beat him. He ran on well inside the final furlong, leaving the impression that he would benefit from a stronger gallop or step up in trip, and he can raise his game over this longer trip to defy the same mark he competed from last time.
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