Pieros expert Horse Racing Tips

Last year’s winner Haunted Dream was unlucky last time out at Royal Ascot. He was travelling well on the far side rail when badly hampered, forcing his jockey to ease him down despite apparently having plenty left in the tank. He had a solid winter campaign in Dubai, running a career-best when finishing fourth at Group 2 level. It appears he’s been kept fresh for this race after Ascot, which looks a more realistic target given the weights and official ratings. With James Doyle back aboard, and provided he gets a clear passage, Haunted Dream should be competitive at this level again.

Prodigal Son looks a possible improver now tackling handicaps for the first time off a potentially workable mark. A front-runner who has been improving with each run, he didn’t quite see out the seven-furlong trip last time. The drop in distance should suit, and with capable apprentice Mason Paetel aboard, taking 5lb off, he could be worth a small bet at 9/1. The yard has had a couple of winners recently, adding to his appeal.

With bookies offering 4 places, Royal Musketeer looks worth chancing in the each-way market at double digits. He runs this track well, often hitting the frame, and had a great chance last time out at Haydock to get back in the winner's enclosure. However, he ended up racing on the wrong side of the track, and the jockey gave him a light ride, knowing he had no chance from there. Cieren Fallon takes over the ride from a claimer, and the first-time headgear is applied. A prominent runner who could be tough to peg back, he must go on the shortlist at 10/1.

Holy Smoker is the unexposed runner who looks capable of improving now stepping up in distance. His form in maidens and novice contests appeared poor initially, but he showed some decent late progress last time out on handicap debut at Leicester, finishing a remote fourth but staying on well. The handicapper has dropped him 4lb, and the extra two furlongs should bring further improvement. The William Knight ??' Cieren Fallon combination has been prolific lately, and at 20/1, Holy Smoker looks worth an each-way bet.

William Haggas has won this race three times in the last five years, including with Al Aasy last year, who is today’s favourite. However, he carries a 3lb penalty, which is never ideal, and at 6/1, Candleford makes more appeal. Off the track for a year, Candleford returned with a much-needed run at Royal Ascot, finishing a not-knocked-about last in a Group 2. He clearly came on for the run and looked quite impressive last time out at Beverley, where he made all the running over today’s trip in a Listed race, finishing strongly. Now back to a decent level of form, getting his head back in front could have done him good, especially after setting some quick fractions. With no obvious front-runner in this field besides himself, I suspect Tom Marquand will use a similar strategy. The jockey did well a few days ago on Ashariba from the front and could produce a similar result here.

I think James Ferguson will have kicked himself after running Wonder Legend at Royal Ascot on ground that clearly didn’t suit, resulting in the horse being pulled up, which is far from ideal. However, I still believe this horse is very talented and, on a more suitable surface, he could prove competitive. He impressed with the way he progressed over staying distances during the winter, with his best performance coming in the Marathon at Newcastle. There, he turned a competitive handicap into a procession, winning in notably fast time. Although more commonly raced on the all-weather, he also won decisively on soft ground at Doncaster last year, travelling strongly and showing a strong turn of foot in similar conditions. By Sea The Stars and out of a Fastnet Rock mare, he’s bred to stay all day and could be the one to hit the frame at a decent price. At around 14/1, Wonder Legend is worth a small each-way play.

Joseph O'Brien continues to impress, especially when sending horses to the UK or France. Aeronautic ran a very good race at Royal Ascot, coming on a lot from his seasonal reappearance. He got caught in a pocket on the far side rail and had to wait for a gap to materialise, losing momentum in the process. Outstayed in the closing stages by better-placed horses, he still finished a respectable fifth of 16, beaten less than four lengths. Overall, he’s lightly raced and has already won a competitive handicap at Leopardstown last term over a similar distance, on good/yielding ground and his performance at Ascot gives hope of a better showing in the future. While this looks a competitive heat, Aeronautic should be involved if granted a clear run. At around 13/2, and with Colin Keane booked for the ride, he’s worth a go.

I have a soft spot for Danielle, who is returning from a long layoff and stepping up in distance today. If the ground gets some cut, I expect her to run a solid race. Always highly regarded since her impressive victory at Wetherby on testing ground, she struggled to find similar conditions until the end of last season. However, she performed well in a Group 3 at Newbury and a Listed race at Haydock, staying on strongly over 1m4f, suggesting there’s more to come over further. The yard has been in good form recently, with most of their horses running in the frame, so I’m hopeful her fitness is up to scratch. At 15/2, she’s worth a tempting each-way bet.

The Stewards' Cup is the most unpredictable sprint of the season, given the nature of the track and the draw bias, which can change from day to day. With bookies offering 6 places on each-way terms, I’m going with Strike Red, who showed he’s back to a decent level of form last time out at York. He ran a stormer from a high draw, finishing well clear of the other horses on that side of the track. He was sixth in this race last year despite plenty of interference and returns to the same handicap mark that saw him win at York last October, when the ground turned soft. Entering the race with a light weight, if the high draws prove advantageous, as often happens at Goodwood, he should outrun his 25/1 odds and have some sort of chance for a place in the frame.

Despite the market drift, Mudbir looked much more straightforward than most and proved the best when turning his handicap debut into a success last time out at Sandown. It was a bit of a messy race at the start, but Jim Crowley looked confident aboard, easing his mount into the race before pushing him out to win by half a length from Defence Minister, who ran well subsequently the other day here at Goodwood. He was hampered at Doncaster while carrying a penalty for his all-weather success but quickly made amends off a mark of 89. The assessor raised him just 2lb, which looks fair, and he has picked up the plum draw in stall 1. He was second on debut on soft ground, so he has proven form in conditions with cut. At 13/2, he has an obvious each-way chance, especially with bookies offering extra places.