Timeform provide an overview of the key things to note in the UK and Ireland on Wednesday.
Watson to solve Yarmouth nursery puzzle
Nursery season has begun and there have been four such races at the time of writing (before Tuesday racing) with Stuart Williams’ Holi Scarlett winning one of them at Nottingham on July 2.
The daughter of Bungle Inthejungle is back for more in the Infobond Nursery Handicap over 5f at Yarmouth on Wednesday (14:45) but she is 3lb ‘wrong’ under a 6lb penalty and there are some interesting nursery debutants in against her.
Timeform are struggling to split them with just 1lb separating Or Another, Dubai Charm and My Maria at the top of the ratings, but preference is for the latter as she has looked a type for nurseries at Salisbury and Chepstow.
Indeed, our analysts think an opening mark of 67 is ‘workable’ and trainer Archie Watson has a very good record in the first batch of nurseries of the season, his overall stats reading eight wins from 34 runners at 23.53% (+£18.50 to £1 at SP) for his career nursery representatives in the month of July.
Mas appeal at Catterick
Talking of trainers with a good handicap record with a certain age group leads us to Ed Bethell who shone with his 3YO handicappers last month.
In 3YO-only handicaps in the month of June Bethell had three winners and three seconds from 13 runners and he could carry on that work into July with Masaban in the All Races Live On Racing TV Handicap over 7f at Catterick (15:30).
This horse bolted up on his handicap debut for Bethell at Ripon in May and he ran to a similar level at Doncaster after that, before he was too keen off a strong pace against his elders at Pontefract last time.
Bethell retains the Timeform ‘Hot Trainer’ flag and dropping this horse back in against his own age group looks a good move and one that can see him travel strongly under Danny Tudhope, who takes over in the saddle.
Murtagh to lay down the Law
Finally, watch out for another with the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag as in-form Johnny Murtagh’s Contrary To Law goes for the closing Racing Again September 1st Handicap over 7f at Fairyhouse.
This half-brother to multiple Hong Kong Group 1 winner Exultant is bred to go a mile and perhaps even a bit further and he has caught the eye in four starts in maiden company.
At two he was fourth behind Constitution River at Galway, while this season he has been finishing well over trips around six furlongs ahead of this handicap debut over seven.
In his last report Timeform stated ‘will be better off in handicaps, will prove suited by a return to 7f’ so he has to be firmly on the radar here with those two factors in play.
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