ALTHOUGH there are two Premier Day race meetings, this afternoon does feel like a lull in the proceedings following the festivals at Goodwood and York.
There are, though, some interesting betting opportunities starting at Sandown Park where the big race of the day is the Atalanta Stakes at 2.25.
This Group Three event offers a chance for fillies and mares to gain some black type. Having failed at the highest level and in a field of nine, Tamfana is the likely market leader having contested the 1,000 Guineas (4th beaten a length), third in the French Oaks and last time out a close-up fourth of eight in the Grand Prix de Paris behind Sosie.
So a top price of around 11/10 is probably about right. But there are each-way alternatives, including DOHA.
Ralph Beckett’s charge has graduated from an opening handicap mark of just 82 this year, through winning the Kensington Palace Fillies Handicap at Royal Ascot off 85, to running a fine close-up fifth of nine in the Group One Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
At around 10/1 she gets my place vote, with the other player against the short-priced favourite — likely to be Simon and Ed Crisford’s Choisya.
Just over an hour later at 3.35, eight have been declared for the Solario Stakes, with FIELD OF GOLD the likely market leader. The Gosden’s are searching for a seventh win in the Group Three event for juveniles, and this son of Kingman was hugely impressive when landing his maiden at Newmarket by three-and-a-quarter lengths.
Not many of his rivals have run since, but those that have returned to the track have cemented the form, with the fourth and sixth both winning a maiden and novice respectively.
This stiffer seven furlongs should prove right up his street, and he is taken to make it two from three as a juvenile at the main expense of Royal Playright.
Andrew Balding’s Lope de Vega colt also won at Salisbury, on his only start, and is entered in all the back end, big two-year-old races including the Dewhurst, Champagne and Royal Lodge Stakes.
Of the handicaps on the card at the Esher track, the seven furlong Extra Places Every Day Handicap at 1.50 looks an absolute cracker.
The weights are headed by the well treated Star of Orion who has run two solid races this season since moving to Eve Johnson Houghton, in contrast to running nine times during 2023.
At this time of the year, arriving fresh is a huge plus and I make the six-year-old the biggest danger to FEEL THE NEED, set to give the Michael Herrington charge 16lbs.
The selection stays further than this stiff mile, so with a fast pace likely, I suspect Rossa Ryan will ride him quietly out the back and then try to shoot down his rivals from the quarter mile pole.
I expect him to reach a place at the very least and if those up top start racing too soon, then the son of Ribchester may well land the gold medal in the closing stages.
Later on, WAR HOWL (4.45) is an interesting contender for the seven furlong nursery.
Several of these are stepping up to 1400m for the first time in their brief careers, and Brian Meehan’s charge has looked in need of such a move since his running on third over six furlongs in a novice at Newmarket.
He ran way too freely at Salisbury last time out to give himself a chance at the finish, but that third qualifying run has earned him a very fair handicap mark of 79. And he gets the vote over the strong staying Corriamo who takes a step-up in grade after winning going away over the stiff seven at Leicester three weeks ago.
The other Premier meeting is at Chester, with handicaps galore on the card. Percy’s Lad has been a standing dish in the Handicap at 2.40 and should once again play a part from his inside berth.
However, I am not sure he is good enough to give 10lbs away to the lightly raced three-year-old UNDER SIEGE.
The Andrew Balding trained youngster would ideally want an extra half furlong, but I was really impressed by his late running success in a Chelmsford maiden, and I think there is a whole lot more to come from him.
FLAMING RIB has course figures of 118 here. That last run came in a listed contest when he was badly hampered, and the top weight is surely worth another chance here off a mark of 97, which represents his easiest task for a very long time.
The selection may have the edge over the consistent Emperor Spirit, who ran a much better race than his finishing position suggested in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon earlier this month.
SPIRIT MIXER (5.35) had a horrible passage out wide at York last week and is well worth another chance off a one pound lower mark in the concluding two mile handicap.
Recent Ripon winner Tailorman could well give him most to do, hailing from the in form Ian Williams’s yard.
It is a big day at Beverley this afternoon with the feature Bullet Sprint Stakes at 2.05 with some decent prize money up for grabs.
Second over the course and distance to the evergreen Judicial last year, Clarendon House will be the choice of many, but may have to give best to COMMANCHE FALLS, who should be well suited to this uphill finish.
Certainly, based on his running on second in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock Park, he has little to fear from the majority of these with the likely improver, Staincliff of interest from the younger generation.
