Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Tuesday.
Kilkenny Warrior a handicapper to follow
Kilkenny Warrior wasn’t a cheap purchase by any means – she cost 110,000 guineas as a yearling – and she looks one to follow in the Arc All-Weather £1million Bonus Is Back Nursery Handicap (15:00) at Lingfield on the back of her recent success at Southwell.
She didn’t show much on her first two starts, but she showed more on her qualifying run dropped to five furlongs at Sandown last month, passing several rivals in the closing stages after losing a fair few lengths at the start.
Kilkenny Warrior built on that in no uncertain terms on her handicap and all-weather debut at Southwell three weeks ago, much shorter in the betting than previously and doing all of her best work at the finish, comfortably beating a next-time-out winner.
The handicapper hasn’t missed that performance, hiking her 9lb in the weights, but there should be even more to come from her now she’s up and running, and she’s well worth another crack at seven furlongs, particularly at a sharp track like Lingfield.
Candlish has good record in Leicester event
Jennie Candlish has won the last two renewals of the Join Racing TV Now Selling Stakes (15:14) at Leicester and Good Banter has an excellent chance of making it three in a row.
His two wins for Clive Cox came on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and he bounced back to form returned to that venue when winning a similar event to this over an extended mile last month.
Good Banter was well backed on that occasion and won as easily as you would like on his first start beyond seven furlongs, travelling strongly before coming wide into the straight and just nudged clear once taking up the lead entering the final furlong.
His rider didn’t need to get serious and Good Banter was value for at least an extra couple of lengths. Admittedly, Good Banter is yet to win on turf, but he is effective on it, as his debut run would suggest, and he stands out at the weights kept to selling company back down in trip.
Valiant Force stands out at Dundalk
Valiant Force has recorded some of his best performances at Dundalk, a three-time winner at the track up to a mile, and he stands out at the weights in the Celebrate Your Special Occasion At Dundalk Stadium (17:35).
He sprang a surprise when a 150/1 winner of the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot as a juvenile and has since developed into a smart colt, his two best performances coming in defeat over five and six furlongs at this track on his last two starts.
One of those defeats came at the hands of Eclairage, but that was a handicap, in which he was conceding 20lb to that rival, but is much better off at the weights now.
Valiant Force ran to a similar level when again finding only one rival too strong last time, taking a strong hold under an apprentice rider, and shaping like a horse who would appreciate the return to this minimum trip.
Wayne Lordan, who is one from one on him, takes back over in the saddle, and on form, he should be hard to beat on these terms – he’s at least 7lb clear of his rivals on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
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