Haydock Park stage the second day of their three-day July meeting this evening but with one eye on Saturdays excellent card I think the 5/2 at BetVictor for Humble Hero in the opening three-year-old handicap is a very fair price.
At Haydock tonight, Teodoro (8.20) did us a favour when scoring in a first-time visor over C&D from a 9lbs higher mark last month and can follow up. Trained by Tom Dascombe the gelding was slowly away before being chased up to lead by jockey Richard Kingscote and, having got to the front, he never looked in danger of being passed.
The selection is not guaranteed to get things all his own way up front, but he doesn't have to lead although he will have to break better than he did last time given this is a better race. Carigrad and Yaarmen look the biggest dangers in a hot handicap.
In the mile maiden Multicultural (7.50) returns after a three-month break for James Tate having finished runner up at Newcastle on her reappearance when a well-backed favourite. The selection travelled like much the best horse in the race on that occasion and she is taken to break her maiden tag at the third time of asking.
At Sandown this afternoon Roussel will be fancied to go one better than when runner up in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot last month behind stablemate Sound And Silence. The colt won at Leicester on debut and is a worthy favourite but I am going to give the penalised Havana Grey (2.20) another chance after what was a disappointing run in the Norfolk Stakes last time. The selection is drawn in stall two and won the listed National Stakes over C&D back in May – I am convinced he is better than he showed at the Royal meeting.
Uae King (4.30) gave every indication he would stay this trip when making all at Haydock to land his maiden at the fourth time of asking last time and this son of Frankel represents the yard of Roger Varian whose string could not be in better shape. The selection is a son of Frankel but looks an out-and-out galloper and the classic generation have won two of the last four renewals.
In the last Imperial State (5.05) is visored for the first-time and steps back up to a mile in the Lady Amateur riders' event for George Scott. If the headgear does the trick, the four-year-old looks more than capable of winning from this mark.
In Doncaster's opener, I can pass on a good word for Jungle Room but he will have to be very good to beat the experienced Mutakatif (2.00) given the level of form of the Charlie Hills' colt. The selection was no match for Expert Eye at Newbury last time, but that colt has huge potential and he can make it third time lucky this afternoon.
The 12f maiden looks a match between Heron and Musaahim (3.05) with preference for the Varian-trained colt who looked a sure-fire future winner when second at Sandown over 10f last month. The selection looked to be crying out for a step up in trip at the Esher track and he must go close in what promises to be an informative maiden.
At Newton Abbot Lovely Job did us a favour when scoring at Uttoxeter last month coming back from a 14-month lay-off but that was over 3m and Braquer D'Or (2.40) who was a fluent winner over 2m 6f at Stratford on Monday may have too much toe back at 2m 4f. The selection carries a 7lbs penalty but he looked well ahead of the handicapper earlier in the week and gets a confident vote.
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