Eight meetings on a Friday and the temptation is to chase the short ones, but the day fans out nicely the longer it runs. Ascot anchors the afternoon, Redcar gives us a run of solid Flat handicaps, and the real interest sits in the Irish and evening cards where a couple of bigger prices have caught our eye.
Start at Ascot, because that is where the strongest of the lot is. Precise heads the 4:20 and is the sort we are happy to lean on at a short price, a clear cut above on what we have seen. Earlier in the card Brussels is a watch-and-hope each-way runner at a big number, the kind you take a small interest in rather than build a day around.
Redcar is where the meeting holds together for us. City Of Poets carries our biggest stake there in the 3:25, with Only Dream Big and Argy Bhaji both expected to run their races in the handicaps either side. It is a card that rewards sticking to the ones we rate rather than spreading thin.
The two we keep coming back to are at opposite ends of the price list. Brave Hunter in the Newmarket 7:10 has met trouble in running of late and been beaten by horses who went on to win next time, so the bare form does the rest of his field a favour. His mark is easing, stall three is a help, and in a small field he stands clear on our reckoning. Then the one worth a proper note. Royal County Glory in the Down Royal 8:30 has the seven furlongs spot on by his record, looks well treated at the weights now, and a handy draw in three gets him out of the gate cleanly. At 26/1 he towers over these on our assessment, and that is a price worth a small each-way play.
Elsewhere the Irish evening gives us Goodie Two Shoes carrying a decent stake at Limerick, while Down Royal’s Daneh Of Dandy and Treasure Rose both make plenty of appeal in their races. Over at Goodwood, Boilermaker is the pick of a quieter card for us.
Yesterday was a good one. Pride Of Nepal and Star Of Mali both obliged from five runners, with Al Riffa and Federal Envoy filling places, so the staking plan came up smiling.
Plenty to work through tonight. The afternoon favourites set the tone, but it is the evening prices where we think the day pays its way.