With flat and jumps action to enjoy on Bank Holiday Monday, we give you three selections to get the week started off well…
We had north to Cartmel for our first selection in the 2m1f Class 4 Kevin O'Toole Memorial Juvenile Hurdle (2:55). Balboa is making his hurdling debut for trainer Milton Harris and could be an interesting prospect over jumps. Although the three-year-old never placed in six runs on the flat, he showed promise on his first racecourse start at Kempton when fifth in a maiden behind the subsequently Group placed Hadrianus.
Sold to Kate Kenyon in July 2023 and transferred from Jamie Osborne to Milton Harris, he was given a spin on the flat for his new connections when sixth of eight in a 1m6f Sandown Park handicap. A first-time hood has been applied for this outing and the son of Mondialiste has an eye-catching jockey booking in Harry Cobden.
SELECTION – BALBOA (7/2)
Switching to the tapeta at Southwell,Mai Dubai is our second selection in the 7f Class 3 British EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes (Sire And Dam Restricted Race) (3:45). The Frankel colt was bought for £200,000 as a yearling and struggled on debut at Newbury over seven furlongs, never being able to recover from a slow start.
The Richard Hughes-trained juvenile still showed signs of inexperience on his second start at Kempton Park on the all-weather, becoming out-paced with two furlongs to go before recovering for a late run. He finished third behind Quatre Bras, who was considered good enough to try Listed company on his subsequent outing. With any form of improvement, Mai Dubai would be firmly in the mix.
SELECTION – MAI DUBAI (15/2)
The experience of Emirates Angel could be an advantage in the 7f Class 5 Noah's Retreat - Accessibility At Heart Restricted Maiden Stakes (2:50) at Chepstow. The filly is one of only five runners in the fourteen-strong field who has experienced more than one run and she clearly benefited from her debut.
A well-beaten sixth at Catterick on her first racecourse start, Emirates Angel showed improved form to finish third at Bath. Although it is easy to pick holes in the form of the slowly-run contest, the Harry Angel filly is a half-sister to two-time Listed juvenile winner Naval Power with all of her siblings performing best over seven furlongs or further. The step up in trip could spark significant progression.
SELECTION – EMIRATES ANGEL (6/1)
