JIBBER JABBER

Brighton regular and 3-time course winner HEER'S SADIE won on her second start last season and she caught my eye running-on on her seasonal debut over C&D 17-days ago after being dropped in from a poor draw in stall 1. She then had to come 9-wide on the home straight before finishing a decent 6.25 lengths 5th of 9 in a slightly higher Grade (0-55 as opposed to this 0-52 race). She should strip fitter for the run, she is unexposed at this 1-mile trip (and may even need this distance now a 7 year old mare), and better drawn in stall 6 she looks worth an each way interest at the 16/1 with Bet365 who are paying the first 4 home in this 14-runner race.

TIGER TULIP has dropped 9lb down the weights since this time last year to just 1lb above her last winning mark. She also has a seasonal debut under her belt in a Class 4 (0-82) race where she finished 18 lengths last of 12. I'm not too bothered by that as she was allowed to coast home late on after meeting a little trouble leaving the stalls. She will strip fitter for the run, has kindly been dropped 3lb by the handicapper, her draw in stall 8 is fine, and Silvestre De Souza is a significant first-time booking. I like her for this 5f on Good to Firm at Windsor as she finished a head 2nd of 5 over 6f on her only other visit here on this forecast Good to Firm of 6lb higher in a higher Grade last September. In that race, she took the lead and was still ahead with 1 furlong to go. I can see Mr De Souza trying to adopt similar tactics out of the gates here and hopefully she can last home off her low weight in this weaker race.

RED MIRAGE has a good record fresh and has dropped to 3lb below his last winning mark. Looks well-worth an each way bet at the price with this maybe the best time to catch him.

MOON SNIPER is a 3-year-old colt from the Muir & Grassick yard who won this race in 2022 with an 18/1 shot coming back from a 6-month break. The selection returns from a 287-day break here and runs off a workable looking mark of 79. He appears versatile with regard to the going. His 4 runs last year were over 7f, and one of his best came here when he finished 2 lengths 2nd of 12 in a Maiden Stakes coming out of stall 4. In that race, he quickly made his way to the rail and stayed there, and from stall 2 today, I expect him to adopt similar tactics. He kept on well on his final start in July 2023 and is bred to stay this 1m2f trip, while the application of a first-time tongue-tie is another source of possible improvement.

ENPASSANT has ran well over C&D off higher marks in the past. The 4 year old gelding has dropped back down to his last winning mark and also drops from a Class 4 (0-78) race to a Class 6 (0-65) here. I like his draw in stall 1 and in a 16-runne race where it looks like there could be plenty of pace on this could be set up nicely for him. Anyway, he looks well-worth an each way interest for 5 places at 11/1.

I quite like the chances of KANKIN in this with the in form Luke Scott (Last 14 days: 2-5, 40%) taking over in the saddle. He caught my eye running-on last time over 2m5.5f at Fontwell 29-days ago when out-paced in about 10th as they turned for home before staying on to finish a 9.75 lengths 4th of 12. He steps up a further 3 furlongs in trip today which I think will suit on this "Good" Going. He once tried 2m7.5f on Soft off a 6lb higher mark and didn't appear to stay the trip losing a couple of places late on but I'm putting that down to the ground and his weight. He has shaped several times like this type of trip would suit. He has also dropped another 1lb to 4lb below his last winning mark and will be fully-fit on his seventh start of the season.

THE KNIPHAND may improve further for today's step up to 4-miles and gets in near the bottom of the weights carrying just 10st 5lb. The 7 year old gelding was sent off at 4/1 Favourite in a fairly valuable (68K) Class 2 handicap at Doncaster over 3m2f six weeks ago. He finished a good 2.75 lengths 2nd of 12 there, has only gone up 2lb for it, and can be seen running on late looking like this new trip might suit. He will be rock hard fit on his sixth start of the season, he has won on both Good and Good to Soft, he looks an improved horse since winning in retained cheek-pieces at Doncaster three starts back, and off a mark of just 127 this 7 year old has plenty of scope for further improvement. I like his chances about as much as you can in a race of this nature.

WHYNOTNOWRY who looks well-handicapped running off a mark of 82 having been dropped 3lb recently. I really like the 16/1 still on offer with Bet365 for 3 places. He looks worth a bet at 10/1 plus IMO. The Neil Mulholland yard is banging in the winners (Last 14 days: 6-21, 29%), the selection will be fully-fit on his fifth start since November, and I like the first-time booking of Robert Dunne. WHYNOTNOWROY has made a couple of jumping errors recently including at Taunton 3-out two starts back in a very similar race to this and if he hadn't I think he might even have won that race. Lower in the weights here expect him to be held up and come with a big late run. He could win with a clear round.

LIPA K looks worth a bet now back hurdling off her last winning mark. She will be fit from chasing, has won at this trip, has won under this jockey, and the drying conditions at the track are in her favour.

The 5-year-old mare REMEMBER MOI looks worth an each-way interest at the massive looking 20/1 with Bet365. Now making her handicap debut off a workable looking mark of 94, she is stepped up to 3 miles for the first time. Fit on her fourth start of the season with the yard in form.

MISSION IN MALTON cost 38,000 GNS back in October 2023 and last June to July he showed very little in three starts on turf over 6f - 7f and returns from a 251-day break here. However, his Dam, Margaret's Mission, did something similar before improving greatly as a 3 year old winning 3-times over this 1 mile trip. The selection is also a half-brother to Sense Of Duty who won on this Tapeta surface at Newcastle running to a RPR of 116 in the process. He was officially rated as high as 109 at one stage. MISSION IN MALTON makes his handicap debut here running off a lowly mark of 46 (4lb out of the handicap) in a weak looking Class 6 (0-52) race and is well-drawn is stall 2. He is bred to be better than he has shown to date.

SCATTER PENNY needs to bounce back to form on her seasonal debut but her last two races last season were both over 7f so she could do better returned to 6f. She won on her race when fresh on debut last season and she is 1-1 over C&D, a race she won easily by 4 lengths, on similar ground to what she will face here. It is officially "Good" Going with further drying conditions at the track and it won't bother here if it turns "Good to Firm" as she won on that too at Nottingham last June. She has dropped 9lb down the weights since last August, the Easterby yard is in form (Last 14 days: 3-14, 21%), and "fresh" might be the time to catch her.

I think there could be a better run to come from the lightly-raced course winner SILENT AGE. The 4 year old gelding has been dropped 7lb since this time last year, ,drops down two Classes from a Class 2 (0-105) race to a weakish looking Class 4 (0-85) race, will be fitter for the two runs he's already had this season, and steps up a furlong to what I hope will be a more suitable trip.

SOLDIER DAN is an unexposed, lightly-raced, 7 year old who is having only his second run over fences. He is a former 5-time 3-mile point to pointer though and jumped pretty well on his chasing debut at Market Rasen 7 weeks ago. He was a well-beaten 28 lengths 5th of 10 on that occasion but the form of the race is working out particularly well while this race looks easier and he has kindly been dropped 5lb by the handicapper. He also drops back 4f in trip here, will be fully-fit on his fifth start of the season, and encounters better ground. I think he could go well and at a price looks worth chancing especially with three places on offer with several firms.

IBERIAN is a 4 year old Charles Hills trained colt who won a particularly strong Group 2 race here over 7f back in September of 2023 and starts his season off in a Listed race here with his trainer saying, "He's been training nicely and we've had this race in mind for a while. The ground looks like it should be okay and we thought it was an obvious race for him." He has always been very highly regarded and I think 6f could suit this talented, classy, speedy, type even better than 7f. He won a 4-runner Conditions Stakes at Southwell on the All-Weather after a wind operation and a 160-day break last December so returning from another 105-day break shouldn't be a problem while the stats show many horses do even better on their second start after a wind op.

FOSTERSISLAND looks worth an each way interest at the current 25/1 on offer with BET365 who are paying 4 places in this 13-runner race. The selection, who ran well here in a higher Class 2 starts back, has dropped 8lb down the weights since November and has Emma Smith-Chaston taking a useful 3lb off. He has dropped to 7lb below his last winning mark and will be fully-fit on his seventh start of the season.