Sam King has tipped 9/4, 12/1, and 6/4 winners over the last four days and returns with three more selections on this wonderful Wednesday.
All eyes will be on the Carlisle Bell come 3.50 this afternoon and I'm hoping The Cookstown Cafu can land the oldest sporting prize in history for Kevin Ryan.
The Kevin Ryan-trained contender shaped as though the step back up to this stiff mile would be right up his street when keeping on steadily for fourth over half a furlong shorter at Beverley seventeen days ago.
The progressive four-year-old scored snugly over this distance at Pontefract off 6lb lower in May and gives the impression there could be more to come in competitive handicaps of this nature.
Stall four should ensure that Rowan Scott can obtain a handy position just behind the pace and The Cookstown Cafu gets the vote to make it a perfect three from three racing over a mile.
Selection: The Cookstown Cafu – General 8/1
Heads turn to all-weather action for our second selection. The Unibet Support Safe Gambling Handicap at Kempton (7.20) looks like a competitive affair but plenty of firms are offering extra places and there should be some each-way value to be had.
Andrew Balding's Elwasme is one I'm going to side with at the prices in the hope this unexposed three-year-old can bounce back from a disappointing effort.
The Park House Stables trainer has made it no secret that he thought this horse was well handicapped and it wasn't overly surprising to see him go off the 7/2 market leader for a competitive event on his handicap debut at Newmarket. He disappointed on that occasion and never really looked like getting involved but there are reasons to believe he's worth another chance.
A mark of 75 looks almost too good to be true based on his Southwell fourth in April and the return to an all-weather surface could aid his chances. He travelled sweetly in that Southwell event and the form looks solid with the winner going on to finish second in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the second-home Covey, who disappointed in that event, made a mockery of his opening mark of 90 in a Haydock handicap in May.
Ideally, I'd prefer Elwasme with a lower draw but hopefully, David Probert can drop in from eleven and get him to settle. The fitting of a first-time visor looks like an interesting addition and this nicely bred son of Cracksman could easily have plenty in hand off a mark of 75.
Selection: Elwasme – General 8/1
We head back to Carlisle for our third and final wager. Charlie Johnston has saddled four winners from his last twelve runners at Carlisle and Kitai looks of stern interest in the concluding Carlisle Supporting Racing Staff Week Fillies' Handicap at 5.20.
She was quite highly tried at two and sent off just 4/1 for the Listed "Bosra Sham" Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket in October on the back of a comfortable all-the-way Pontefract maiden success. The daughter of No Nay Never disappointed at Newmarket and was subsequently given the rest of the season off before returning to action with a lacklustre seventh at Kempton on her handicap debut.
However, she took a significant step forward from that effort when fourth in a similar handicap at Catterick (7f – Good-to-Firm) in May and certainly displayed signs that a race of this nature would be within reach in the not-so-distant future.
A 2lb drop in the weights will surely do no harm and with this stiff seven furlongs to suit on good ground I'm expecting a bold bid off the front end under masterful front-running rider Joe Fanning.
Selection: Kitai – General 8/1
