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14:25 Ripon Obsidian is the early market leader in this competitive looking class three handicap. He has a 50% win rate over eight furlongs and has won on both soft and good-to-firm ground so should be at home whatever the weather. His last run saw him win by a neck off a mark of 81 in a class four, having failed twice previously off the same mark in class threes. He returns to class three company having been raised 4lbs so will likely find this tougher. Kalk Bay arrives here looking for his hat-trick after wins at Doncaster and Chester respectively and looks the form pick on paper. However, both these wins came on good-to-firm ground and you have to go back five years to find a win on soft ground so he is passed over today. Chosen Character has a strike rate of 45% for top three finishes and his last win came off a mark of 91 on soft ground over todays’ trip. He races off 84 today, jockey Patrick Vaughn claims a further 7lbs and with a favourable draw suiting his front-running style he could be a shrewd each way bet at current odds of around 12/1. Wilde Inspiration is another who looks a big price considering he has a career strike rate of 64% for top three finishes. Although not seen to his best in his last two runs, he can effectively race off his last winning mark if taking in to account Joe Doyle’s 3lbs claim. Chosen Character (E/W) Wilde Inspiration (E/W)
16:55 Doncaster Maljaa looks likely to head the market and has solid claims having placed in all three of his handicap runs, only being beaten by a head in the last two. He is tried in blinkers in an effort to bring about the improvement necessary to get his head in front and a 3lbs rise looks fair considering expected improvement as experience builds but preference is for My Name Is Rio. My Name Is Rio was a game winner at Ayr recently, dropped back to the minimum trip for the first time in two years. He was produced late but won a little easier than the official winning margin of a neck suggests and with just a 1lbs rise to contend with he could improve on his already strong record of two wins from four over five furlongs. Bahamian Heights and Captain Dunne are both last time out winners who have place claims, while Mutafaakir is still 3lbs higher than his last winning mark but has a decent strike rate of 42 % for top three finishes and cannot be discounted either. My Name Is Rio (E/W if 9/2+)
20:05 Lingfield Weardiditallgorong was an impressive four length winner on her first attempt over todays’ trip at Brighton earlier this month, beating Nifty Kier who had won last time out. She looked like the step up to ten furlongs really suited and as such should be capable of defying the 4lbs rise especially as she keeps in-form jockey Silvester De Sousa in the saddle today. Pink Ribbon is yet to win in fifteen attempts but has been knocking on the door with three placed efforts from his last four runs off todays’ mark and looks sure to get his head in front before too long. Fourteen year old Megalala showed he still has the appetite for the game with a win over todays’ trip in June and has two third placed efforts since. He seems to have struck up a good relationship with apprentice jockey Aaron Jones and is only 1lbs higher than his last win. Weardiditallgorong (WIN)