A GROUP One event at Newmarket and several unbelievably competitive handicaps up and down the country make this afternoon a day to be very selective in your betting to achieve a level stakes profit. I normally assign an each-way Round Robin or Patent for today with one second favourite and a couple of double digit players to go to war with and top of my punting list will be KING’S LYNN (1.45) at Ascot.

A regular in Group One and Two events over the past two years, the seven-year-old is nowhere near that level nowadays so handicaps are more his port of call and the assessor has finally given him a chance to return to winning form of late dropping him to a mark in the low 90s. The son of Cable Bay showed he was down to a realistic level when only a late rush from Wiltshire saw him off in a cracking class two event at Newcastle and only 2lbs higher here I think he can return to winning form for the first time since landing the Group Two Temple Stakes in May 2022.

Of his rivals, top weight Rohaan is also well treated (has a great record over six furlongs here), but this step down to five furlongs will leave him with plenty to do in the latter half of this race (maybe worth including in combination forecasts and tricasts), while the likes of course and distance winner Badri and Jumbeau are feared in a wide open affair.

The feature race of the day at the Berkshire track is the Group Two Summer Mile Stakes at 2.20. This time last year, Ancient Rome was defying top weight and a mark of 105 in a Goodwood handicap before landing a huge pot in the Mint Million Stakes at Keeneland. He is a player at a big price if there is enough pace in the race, but may find the progressive QUDDWAH too hot to handle. This will be only the fourth career start for the selection and although he won’t be a big price I suspect he should have the legs of Sonny Liston and Embesto.

I really like the betting make and shape of the mile-and-three-quarter handicap at 3.32 and in a field of 13 I am massively sweet on the claims of two runners here. With the various prices I will be having a big saver on the outsider NATHANEAL GREEN who finished to some effect over a mile and a half here when fifth of eight here last May. Since then he has been placed in the 2023 Northumberland Plate off 88. A swap in trainers from William Haggas to Alistair Ralph is obviously a concern, but I was quite taken by his down the field run in the two-and-a-half-mile Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting when he made good headway between the half-mile and three-furlong pole before weakening. That trip would have been too far in any case and he had to charter a wide course and back down to a mark of 85 he could run well at a huge price behind bottom weight TACTICIAN. A maiden success at Goodwood is a fair way from winning a class-three handicap, but this will only be his fourth career start and there should be a lot more to come from this thoroughly unexposed three-year-old against his elders.

Of the remaining races on the card I will also be having an interest on the now well treated BASE NOTE (4.07) and KODI LION in the concluding seven-furlong handicap at 5.17.

The last named is particularly interesting having visited the racecourse on only three occasions and being a huge eye catcher last time out at Haydock Park when a never nearer second behind Nariko. I think that there is an awful lot more to come from him up against mainly exposed rivals of which Tadreeb could be the best running off a career low mark of just 73.

The John Smith’s Cup (York, 3.10) is the biggest betting event of the day and if you ignore his latest run in a Listed race at Royal Ascot, last of 15 in the Wolferton Stakes, then he could very well bounce back after impressing in a course and distance win here at the Dante meeting. A full 10lbs higher in the handicap is a big challenge for him and although I may well have a saver on him, I just prefer the claims of KILLYBEGS WARRIOR at a bigger price. The Charlie Johnston-trained runner loves to be at the sharp end and if Billy Garritty can secure a prominent position from stall 15 then I think he can hit the frame at the very least. The Alan King-trained Paradias is another one with solid each-way claims.

Finally at the track have a second look at the well weighted OSO RAPIDO in the closing six-furlong handicap at 5.25. A winner here over seven furlongs off 79 when subsequently demoted, the veteran is now set to run off a mark of 66 here with young Tom Kiely-Marshall taking a huge 7lbs off his back.

The Group One My Pension Expert July Stakes (4.35) is the main event of the day and with the ground set to dry out even more through the day of the race after a massive deluge earlier on in the week, the each-way play against the likely hot favourite, Inisherin, has to be course and distance winner JASOUR. Last year as a juvenile the Clive Cox-trained runner landed the July Stakes at this meeting and the more the ground dries out the better his chance would become.

Wonder Kid will need another step forward to complete the hat-trick in the mile and a half handicap at 5.10 so the vote goes to THUNDERING who was a late running third in the Cumberland Plate last time out at Carlisle.

With the in-form Sean D Bowen on board, GIFTED ANGEL looks set to strike in the Chester 5.30, while the best wager at Navan could well be THE EQUATOR at 4.10. The son of the great Galileo is dropping back half a mile after running down the field in the Group Two Queen’s Vase. A fast run race here would play into his hands down the uphill finish at the Co Meath track.