Sunday's brilliant Arc winner Golden Horn is 4/5 at BetVictor to end his racing career with a win in the Breeders' Cup Turf in Keeneland at the end of the month and, such was the brilliance of his Longchamp success, you wonder how on earth the colt was beaten by Arabian Queen in the Juddmonte back in August!
Back to the present and there is a cracking card from Leicester this afternoon beginning with two divisions of the 7f Fillies' Maiden. In the opener the form of William Haggas's Light Music's (2.10) second to Nathra at Salisbury last month has been boosted by the winner and the Queen's daughter of Elusive Quality should on breeding appreciate this sound surface although there are heavy showers forecast for the area.
The feature event is the £25,000 Mile Handicap and if the rain arrives Starboard can go close despite the worst of the draw. Lightly raced this season the 6-year-old has won off a higher mark in the past and returned to form when easily scoring at Chepstow at the end of August on soft ground. The nod, however, goes to Homage (3.40) also trained in Newmarket by Haggas who reverts to a mile having looked to have his stamina stretched over 10f in his last couple of starts.
The selection is 1lb lower than when successful last October on soft ground and this might be his time of the year with two of four career wins gained in the month.
At Kempton this evening connections of debutante Emirates Comfort will be hoping to make a winning start given she cost half-a-million Euros as a yearling. A check of the market is recommended and her sire Dubawi does well with his progeny on the all-weather.
Despite the worst of the draw I hope it is third time lucky for Clowance One (6.10) who makes her all-weather bow having finished third in two Newbury maidens including on heavy ground last time when she travelled best but didn't get home over tonight's trip. Her dam finished runner up in the Irish Leger so I am confident she will get home on this better surface although stall 10 is a concern.
I think the step up to a mile will suit Wrapped in the juvenile fillies' Maiden over a mile but Peppering (6.40) is taken to improve past her for Charlie Appleby and Kevin Stott. Appleby's juveniles have been improving markedly for their first run and this American bred suggested she would be a different animal with her initial experience behind her with this evening's additional furlong a plus.
At Catterick Silver Shuffle (4.00) will appreciate the return to 2m having got going too late in a steadily run 12f event here last month. She has a decent draw in stall six and the hope is that her apprentice doesn't get too far back in a 15-runner event.
The feature race is the 7f Nursery and Richard Fahey can maintain his excellent recent record in the race with Novinophobia (3.30) who looked an unlucky loser at Salisbury last time and is 6lbs higher. Fahey has saddled the winner four times in the last seven years and his charge can take what looks a deep and informative contest with all seven in with realistic chances.
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