THE BEST BET – PABORUS (4.15)
From soft ground at Redcar to good to firm last time at Carlisle, PABORUS has impressed in winning both of his starts this season in decisive fashion. Ed Bethell’s charge has earned himself an opening mark of 90 for his handicap debut here as a result, one which means he is 16lb worse off at the weights with Redcar third Diligent Resdev. While that rival retains potential and is respected, he doesn’t appear to be blessed with as much natural speed as Paborus, who looks to possess all the right tools to maintain his steep upward curve over a track which should play to his strengths.
The Inside Track: “I’m looking forward to him. He’s one we always liked last year and he’s shown a lot of promise in those two wins this year. He’s a very honest and straightforward horse who you can ride however you want to suit the race. Fingers crossed he can keep on progressing.” – Callum Rodriguez, jockey
THE NEXT BEST – LETSBEFRANK (6.15)
Three of the hopefuls chasing the £100k bonus clash here. Dark Moon Rising had Newmarket winner Hope You Can Run behind in eighth when scoring at the last Sunday Series fixture at Hamilton a fortnight ago. The former remains unexposed as a stayer and retains potential off a 4lb higher mark given the useful level of form (fourth to subsequent Derby winner Desert Crown in the Dante) he achieved two summers ago.
LETSBREFRANK ran out a surprise winner of the lower grade 1m3f handicap on the same Hamilton card, yet there appeared to be no fluke about that it. While undoubtedly well served by the end-to-end gallop that day, this late-developing Frankel four-year-old surged clear once finally getting an out under Amie Waugh and was well on top of the line. A 6lb rise may not be enough to foil the follow-up, especially with this extra 3f expected to suit.
American Affair (5.45), another Goldie-trained runner, and Irish raider Fiver Friday (4.45) are the other previous Sunday Series winners looking to set up a shot at the bonus at the final two fixtures of the Series at Haydock on August 4 and Pontefract on August 18.
The Inside Track: “He took a big step forward last time at Hamilton and I imagine he’ll take another one here. He has the pedigree of a Group 1 horse, being by Frankel and as a half-brother to Fascinating Rock, so I’d expect that to be gradually kicking in. I’m not worried about the trip” – Jim Goldie, trainer
THE TREBLE BET – CATHERINE CHROI (4.45)
There’s little doubt that Mezzo Soprano, who is unbeaten in three starts following a belated debut in August, is the best prospect in this field of six fillies. She beat a dual subsequent winner (now rated 89) over 6f at this course on soft ground last autumn, while the form of her handicap debut success at Kempton in October has been franked several times over.
Up 6lb for that, a mark of 81 may very well underestimate her if the Crisfords have her ready to roll on her first start for 249 days.
At the likely odds, however, it’s worth chancing the race-fit and thriving CATHERINE CHROI to notch a fifth consecutive turf triumph, and seventh success from just nine starts since rejoining Scottish trainer Iain Jardine earlier this year.
That winning run started in a classified event at Southwell in March, when she had a BHA rating of just 41, and reached a new peak when making a smooth transition from Class 6 to Class 4 company at Hamilton three weeks ago.
A 3lb nudge in the weights and further rise in class will demand more from her here; while the step back up to 7f (all of her recent wins have come at 6f) also poses a question for all that she won over the longer trip in Ireland. However, there’s no telling where the ceiling may lie for this Camacho mare who is in the form of her lift at the age of six.
Jardine has proven himself a dab hand at racking up sequences with horses he inherits from Co Meath handler Claire O’Connell (think last season’s Summer Plate winner Born Famous, who won six on the spin and improved 32lb into the bargain, and Glen Ava), while French-born 5lb claimer Mohammed Tabti, who is now based with Jardine, is unbeaten on Catherine Chroi in three starts.
The Inside Track: “She’s been a great filly for me. She’s very tough and very hard, and I hope she’s still improving. I’ve not ridden her over seven furlongs before, so I will try to keep her relaxed, let her enjoy herself and save as much as I can. The fact we have to round a bend should help me to settle her and take a breather, then go again. Ideally I would like good to soft ground, but we will see.” – Mohammed Tabti, jockey
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