GREEN HOWARD, who seemed to get bogged down in the testing ground at York three weeks ago, can gain compensation at Doncaster tomorrow – provided the heavens don’t open.
Ground conditions on Town Moor are currently on the easy side, which would be fine for Robin Bastiman’s gelding, but further rain could impact on his chances of regaining the winning thread in the Cardsave Leigha Edwards & Lauren Hoe Handicap.
Third on Knavesmire to Sam Nombulist, Green Howard had previously won at Catterick on his seasonal reappearance, a victory which confirmed his progression throughout last year.
There is still more to come from Green Howard, who is taken to bounce back to the glory trail, so long as the ground does not turn very soft.
Kay Gee Be carries the nap vote in the Cardsave Adam Coleman & Moly Woods Claiming Stakes.
The eight-year-old, trained by Richard Fahey, may not be as good as he once was, but his fourth-placed effort in the Thirsk Hunt Cup two starts back was a creditable one and he was far from disgraced in a hot handicap at Epsom’s Derby meeting on his latest start. He can capitalise on this drop in class with Shane B Kelly aiding his chances by claiming 5lb off his back.
Cape Rising should go well in the Cardsave Laura Horne & Jane Cardwell Fillies’ Handicap for Richmond trainer Alan Swinbank.
The five-year-old mare was a decent second to Reem Star at Ayr last time and may not have to improve much on that effort to go one better.
At Beverley’s evening meeting, two horses who competed at last month’s Royal Ascot meeting go head to head in the Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire Pudding Stakes over five furlongs.
Liber, trained by Sir Mark Prescott, was beaten less than two lengths into seventh in a blanket finish to the Windsor Castle Stakes at the Royal meeting, while Mary’s Daughter, trained by Richard Fahey, was beaten a good deal further when finishing unplaced in the Albany Stakes. The Newmarket raider should have the edge here, though Fahey did win the corresponding race last year with Alejandro.
Violent Velocity, now in the autumn of his career, is the winner of 11 of his 84 races, with two of his victories coming on this course. He is dropped into the lowest grade in the Swan Industrial Drives Selling Stakes and should take plenty of beating for John Quinn and Mick O’Connell.
Quinn and O’Connell have double prospects with Baltic Bomber in the Ferguson Fawsitt Arms Handicap. The three-year-old was a winner at Redcar on his latest start and looks steadily progressive as a sprinter.
Furthermore, he is well berthed in stall one in a race in which the draw could be crucial.
It’s pretty low-grade stuff at Beverley, but the Jackson’s Yorkshire Champion Bread Handicap looks competitive, and Pursue may be the one to be on, provided the William Haggas-trained three-year-old puts his best foot forward.
Blinkered for the first time at Yarmouth last time out, he hung both left and right before going down by a head to Speedi Mouse. The blinkers are retained here and if Pursue keeps a straight course, he is selected to gain compensation.
Bada Bing (8.00), second on this course last month, and Dean Iarracht (9.00), who looked to be coming back to form at Newcastle last time, are two others to note.
Tom O'Ryan's selections
Doncaster (tomorrow) 2.00 Moodhill, 2.30 Kay Gee Be (NAP), 3.00 Quality Pearl, 3.35 Green Howard, 4.10 Cape Rising, 4.45 Madrasa, 5.15 Quaroma.
Beverley (tomorrow) 6.30 Violent Velocity, 7.00 Liber, 7.30 Pursue, 8.00 Bada Bing, 8.30 Baltic Bomber, 9.00 Dean Iarracht.
Tomorrow’s other meetings: Sandown, Haydock and Warwick.
Today’s meetings: Epsom, Haydock, Newbury and Yarmouth. The meeting at Perth was abandoned.
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