Disclaimer: Compulsive gambling can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt. If you have a problem with gambling and you’d like to stop, support and treatment is available. To find information, support and counselling on gambling addiction, please visit the NHS website: www.bit.ly/NHSGambling

THE Super Sprint (Newbury, 3.30) is littered with short priced favourites being turned over down through the years, but I suspect that this afternoon’s renewal will see hot market leader, HAVANA HURRICANE add to his recent Royal Ascot success in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.

Settled in rear that day, the son of Havana Gold went into overdrive from a furlong and a half out and readily dismissed his 22 rivals under Charles Bishop. At the weights, this is if anything an easier assignment and I fancy he will be desperately hard to beat, despite the odds of reward only likely to be around the even-money marker, but that I think is the right price. I will also be having a saver at a much bigger price on LOGI BEAR who was way behind my main selection at the Berkshire track.

However, he weakened some way out which was surely not his true form and possibly the very quick ground may have seen him over race. There is little doubt that the bay colt is a deal better than that run suggests.

There are plenty of cracking betting races on the card, none more so than the fillies’ handicap that bookends the card at 5.20 which sees the younger generation take on the older gals. Star Style won on her debut over the course and distance here as a three-year-old, never raced as a juvenile, and on the back of that impressive success she was sent straight to the 1,000 Guineas where she pulled so hard that her race was run by halfway. Not settling has always been her problem and she ran as if she needed the run quite badly here on her comeback, but a mark of 80 may make her the main danger to ADAAY IN DEVON.

The top weight was racing in much higher grade last season with her best run coming when she ran fourth of 10 behind Holkham Bay in the Shergar Cup Dash at Ascot off a rating of 104. But following seven successive defeats since then, she now finds herself set to race off a rating of 90 and in much calmer waters to boot. The recent Ffos Las maiden winner, Maybe Not is the other big player in the field getting plenty of weight from her elders.

The opening Listed Steventon Stakes looks a really good renewal this year with last year’s Magnet Cup Cup winner, Enfjaar likely to start favourite. Meydaan pulled way too hard in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot and his chance was then compromised in rear when the pace slackened just before they turned for home and he could be the main danger to ANCIENT WISDOM (1.50). 

The Godolphin charge has in my book just been a wee bit disappointing this year, but you could excuse two of his three runs for being too free off the front. One of those was of course in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and this represents a much more realistic chance. The three-year-old Rashabar attempts this trip for the first time and I can see Brian Meehan’s charge out running his odds against the older horses.

There is a big day of National Hunt racing at Market Rasen with some very nice prizes up for grabs and the Handicap Hurdle at 2.40 looks an above average renewal with Sir Galahad bidding to retain his four race unbeaten record over timber, but in a much more difficult race than the one he won close home at Worcester and off a 5lbs higher mark to boot.

Paul Nicholls could still have a well handicapped young horse in Brave Knight on his hands and providing there isn’t too much rain the late running, Cavern Club is sure to be firing home for The Good Stock Syndicate.

In the end I have sided with MOON CHIME under the care of David Killahena. This seven-year-old has won four of his eight starts over hurdles and will arrive here fit from a flat run at Goodwood. A 5lbs higher mark following on from his Hexham win asks a bit more, but I think he could well be up to the task in hand.

The following Summer Plate Handicap Chase is the feature race of the day and CEANNDANA (3.12) looks as though he has been laid out for this. Following a 249-day break, the bay gelding ran an absolute cracker at Tipperary last time out and although he is rated significantly higher in the UK, any further forecast rain will definitely be in his favour big time.

The Irish Oaks is the big race of the day, (Curragh, 3.40), Epsom Oaks heroine, MINNIE HAUK, looks an absolute shoe in with three stable mates set to make this a rush and real test through the stiff mile and a half here.

If the dead eight stand their ground in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes (3.05) then I fancy a huge run from Andrew Slattery’s POWERFUL NATION.

The three-year-old remains unexposed compared to the majority of his rivals and with plenty of pace to chase through the first three-quarters of the race, he can overhaul his rivals on the uphill finish to the line and record a career best effort.

The feature Bell-Ringer Handicap at Ripon (3.55) has attracted a small, but select field and in receipt of plenty of weight from the top one, The Reverend, I think that PER CONTRA could well be the call here. Tim Easterby’s charge did too much too soon in the Cumberland Plate at Carlisle last time out and will hopefully settle much better over this much sharper track off a career low mark of 84.

There are three evening cards on the flat and I have picked out SUENO (Newmarket, 4.55), OPERATION GIMCRACK (Doncaster, 7.45) and SECRET MISTRAL (Haydock, 9.00) as my best bets on each card. The second named of that trio was a really good second on his comeback run at Beverley after a long break and should come forward enough to return to winning form here giving weight away all round.