Saturday gives us seven meetings and twenty five horses to follow, from York’s big afternoon card through to the evening action at Lingfield and Salisbury. Plenty to get through, but the shape of the day is clear enough. The strongest fancies sit in the evening, and the prices worth chasing are at Chester and Gowran Park.
Chester is where we are being boldest. Law Of Design goes in the 2:28 at 28/1 and offers far more than his recent placings suggest. Several of his defeats came behind horses who won next time out, so the form reads much better than the bare figures. He also brings genuine early pace, which is always an asset round Chester, and he knows this trip and ground. At that price we only need him to run his race. Lexington Jet at the same odds in the 4:58 gives us a second swing on the card.
Over in Ireland, Glen Breeze in the 2:44 at Gowran Park is the one we keep coming back to. She towers over this field on our reading of the form, has never been faster than she is right now, and won only two weeks ago. The trip and ground hold no surprises, and progressive types like this rarely stop at one win. Later on the same card, Burford Beauty has been running faster races than her finishing positions show, slips down the weights, and gets a handy draw in stall 2.
The evening cards carry the confidence. Salisbury has four picks at short prices, Newcastle five including a pair of 2pt plays in Glory Road and Adelaide Bay, and Lingfield rounds things off nicely. Be An Angel in the 7:30 stands head and shoulders above her field, a winner two starts back and arguably better than ever when second last time, running for a yard that does well at the track. Diomed Duke in the 8:30 saves his best for Lingfield and comes back after only eight days, the sort of quick turnaround that tells you the yard knows he is ready.
Yesterday went well. Three winners from five picks, headed by Killavia at 13/2, with Sixty Plus and Zooella both obliging too. Days like that do not come along every week, but the work behind the picks does not change either way.
A long day, then, stretching from York at lunchtime to Salisbury under the evening sun. If the Chester long shots land, it becomes a very good one.