Chester Vase winner Venice Beach was nibbled at in the betting for the Derby with BetVictor yesterday and the colt is now 12/1 from 14s for the world's most famous flat race although he didn't look a classic winner to me when landing that Group 3 prize.
At Nottingham this afternoon Ryan Moore takes over on Vice Versa who caused a 25/1 shock when scoring at Wolverhampton last time over their extended mile. The filly hadn't shown much in two turf starts on fast ground and she is overlooked despite the improvement at Dunstall Park last time.
Henry Candy has his string in good form and Eula Varner (3.20) makes her handicap debut stepping up in trip to a mile for the first time. The selection has improved in all three career starts to date and she may not have appreciated the firm ground last time despite running a decent race in third. That form isn't working out particularly well but the selection remains open to significant improvement especially if she proves more amenable to restraint.
There is a valuable mile handicap and Another Touch (3.50) has been running well in more competitive races of late and looks to have found a good opportunity. The selection has only been raised 2lbs for finishing second in the Newbury Spring Cup and fourth in the Hambleton Handicap at York earlier in the month.
The feature event is the listed Nottinghamshire Oaks and Playful Sound (4.20) battled back bravely to beat the progressive Next Stage at Newmarket last time over a furlong shorter but is at least as effective over today's 10f trip. She has only met with defeat once in five career starts although that was the one time she was ridden by Ryan Moore who is back in the saddle this afternoon!
Alan King saddled the winner of the 3-y-old 14f handicap back in 2013 with Chocola and he looks to have found a good opportunity for Amadeus Rox (4.50) who has shaped as though an extreme test of stamina could see him in an even better light having run well over 12f at Beverley last time.
In the “Hands and Heels” race, the hope is that Molly King can make all on Shirataki (5.20). The gelding looked on good terms with himself when finishing runner-up at Leicester on Monday and, if over those exertions, he might be tough to peg back over today's shorter trip.
Donald McCain has his Cartmel raiding party in good form and veteran Bourne (2.10) can take the opener with the drying ground considered a plus for the eleven-year-old stayer. The stable have won this corresponding race twice in the last three years and he can reverse recent Hexham running with Grand Enterprise on only 2lbs better terms.
Peckanheim is in good spirits of late and must run well in the 2m handicap chase but preference is for top-weight Boss Des Mottes (3.10) who is dropping down the weights, but hinted at a return to form when finishing fourth at Southwell last time over an extra quarter of a mile.
Irish raider Elusive Theatre (3.40) can land the Beginners Chase, which has cut up very badly. The mare is a winning point-to-pointer and she will be hard to beat if adapting to these fences.
For all your racing odds check out BetVictor.com.
