Six meetings on a Thursday card and the day has a bit of everything. Two Flat fixtures in Ireland and England’s south, jumpers at Worcester and an evening at Market Rasen, plus a meaty evening session at Sandown that closes with the Brigadier Gerard. Plenty to chew over.
Yarmouth is where we’d start. Pierian is a short one at 2:18 and the more compelling angle is the second race, where Zubaru bids for a hat-trick. He won at Doncaster over seven on good to firm, then followed up under a penalty at Leicester just 19 days back. He’s gone up another 4lb but he’s a lightly raced four-year-old on a clear upward curve, and the ground looks ideal. The 3:23 brings the talking horse of the afternoon. Shiyam is the first runner trained by John and Thady Gosden out by the late champion Baaeed, a 200,000gns yearling and a half-brother to four winners. Rob Hornby takes the ride for what should be a popular debut.
Ripon throws up the most interesting each-way play of the day. Garden Oasis is the one we’ve gone in heavier on at 3:40, three points each-way at 11s, with Spioradalta saved as the smaller stake in the same race. North West Gal and Our Absent Friends round out the bigger-priced angles, but the win bet to lean on is Jet Warrior in the 4:10.
Over in Ireland, Fairyhouse has Joga Bonito kicking us off. P Twomey’s 85,000gns juvenile showed clear early speed on his Roscommon debut over 7.5f before weakening late. The drop to six should be the making of him and the family is full of winners. Perfect Judgement at 26s in the 4:52 is the wild swing of the card.
Sandown in the evening is where the real interest builds. The Lost Sock looks well treated for Roger Varian in the 5:10, third over the trip at Wolverhampton in March behind Kolkata Knight, then unlucky at Thirsk when the door slammed shut. Back to five furlongs on good ground reads ideal. The 7:12 is the Brigadier Gerard, and while Ombudsman heads the market at odds-on, Arabian Light at 21s is the each-way poke worth a small interest. He won a Meydan handicap over a mile and a quarter in January before going close in a Group 3 on the same card. Appleby’s five-year-old still has only ten starts to his name.
Yesterday Sisterandbrother obliged at 3.25 with Gentle Warrior, South Shore and Caviar Cowboy filling places. Onto a bigger Thursday.