apollo14

The favourite was impressive when winning on her debut despite being relatively unfancied but will need to be very useful to follow up conceding the winners penalty to MEHMAS ENGINE. She was the opposite in that she was backed off the boards to win but was beaten at odds on on debut at Southwell. Not every horse is in love with the fibresand however and she was quite an expensive purchase that has obviously shown a lot at home to be punted like that. There is also fair bit more stamina in her pedigree than the minimum trip may have allowed her to demonstrate last time and I suspect she will improve for the experience and this extra furlong on polytrack.

JOYAU ALLEN definitely looked a staying type when winning his bumper in heavy ground so this trip today is interesting. He hasn't stood much racing in the 2 years plus since then and hasn't done a lot when he has made it to the track. However, there was more promise last time when beaten into 3rd behind a couple of decent types. Paul Nicholls hasn't given up on him yet and he makes his handicap debut from a mark of 101 today with Harry Cobden on board.

The Irish raider MUNSIF was actually a horse I quite fancied in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham earlier this month until he was withdrawn. A handicap mark of 126 looks ok for a horse rated 93 on the flat and also considering some of the horses he has been finishing not too far away from in his maiden races. The ground was also considered too soft when he was taken out at the festival so we could see marked improvement on this firmer going today.

GOLDEN STRIKE is in quite the rich vein of form at the moment and it seems remiss of the handicapper to leave him on the same mark (72) that he finished 2nd off last time. The winner that day has gone in again since and is now rated 16lbs higher. He had also finished in front of that rival on his previous start when again 2nd. Soft turf has been no problem in the past so it is hard to see him not involved again.

Going to take a chance here that NAVAL LIGHT will go in the ground today as he has shown clearly the strongest form albeit yet to win in 4 attempts. Chucked into the Norfolk at Royal Ascot on only his 2nd start, he acquitted himself well finishing midfield before some strong placed efforts in class 2 maiden races at York and Goodwood. Those latter 2 runs have worked out particularly well and actually make his mark of 87 look about right. That should make him tough to beat today providing the ground isn't too much of a hindrance.

The best piece of form on offer here albeit from a limited pool is that shown by TURTY TREE on debut at Newmarket last Autumn. Noted doing all of his best work at the finish despite being green in the early parts of the race, he managed 2nd ahead of a Haggas trained horse who had the edge on experience and had already shown a useful level. An improvement on that over this extra yardage will see him make easy work of a maiden such as this one.

Tough race as always but there is definitely value to be had away from the 2 dominating the market. The favourite especially seems one to steer clear from at the price as an inexperienced type that needs everything to fall right. I quite like VALVANO who has given the impression for some time there is a bit more ability there to be unlocked. He has been tried over a variety of trips and seems to just falter at the business end of races. Hopes are that in the first time blinkers and over a strongly run mile he can be most effective and scale new heights today.

There a couple towards the head of the market that have kept some very good company and held their own. But generally they have also managed to fluff their lines on occasion when fancied in lesser races. Given the usual level of improvment which could be expected for a promising filly from 3 to 4yo I believe NEVER LET GO could make an impact on this sort of race. She did manage to see off 24 rivals in the ultra competitive Sandringham handicap at Royal Ascot last summer and followed that up with a listed 2nd at Haydock. She again ran creditable on her final start when racing with one other on what turned out to be the wrong side split from the main group at Newmarket. She still finished a creditable 5th and was then put away for the winter. There is a bit for her to find which her price reflects but it isn't insurmountable and she is still open to further improvement this season.

RESPOND took his form to a new level last time switched to front running tactics having often ruined his chance previously by racing too keenly off the pace. Whilst this is tougher than last time at Chelmsford there could be a lot more to come back at 10f as he has only raced 8 times in his career.

A good few with chances here but one that catches the eye at a price is VINCENT ROCKS who won 2 of his 3 races last season for Hugo Palmer. Both of those were over a mile and he flopped on his handicap debut over an extra 2f. Perhaps he wasn't quite ready for that hike in trip and he was put away for the season after that. Returning here as a 4yo on a mark that looks far from insurmountable he could well be capable of making a splash in a race like this.

SPYCATCHER has a very good record at Doncaster, bookendinh his season in 2025 with this race and then another listed event in heavy ground in November. It seems he is best when the ground has soft in the description and also has a good record on his seasonal reappearances.

CARGIN BHUI was narrowly beaten behind a horse that has gone in again 3 times since and risen 16lbs in the ratings. He was arguably unlucky that day too having given the winner first run from the front and only going down by a fast finishing neck in the end. Up only 2lbs for that and looks in fine form at present so must go close again.

The overall level of form shown by WILD SAPPHIRE is much better than anything else on offer here. Whilst 4 runs without a win in maidens can sometimes be cause for alarm, he has often been tried in big track maidens against horses from powerful yards. On debut as 2yo he was only a half length behind a horse that was 2nd in the Dewhurst which is a good example of this. Returns after a break having been gelded but he has gone well fresh twice before and should be better here back at a mile after fading late on over a furlong further when last seen.