Sam King tipped a 2/1 winner at Newcastle last night and returns with three selections, including a strong fancy at Nottingham.
Ed Bethell has had a solid season, and the Coverham-based trainer looks to have picked up a highly progressive filly in the shape of Sanction, who can continue the winning thread by completing a hat-trick in the Trustatrader Fully Vetted Tradespeople Fillies' Handicap (2.37).
The St Albans Bloodstock-owned filly made an impressive stable and handicap debut when keeping on strongly to score by a length over a mile and a quarter at this track in August. The third home that day has won to give the form some substance and it was not at all surprising to see connections up her to a mile and a half at Catterick next time out.
Once again, she hit the line strongly and had plenty to spare when cruising away for a commanding two-and-a-quarter length success at Catterick last month. It's fair to say stamina looks the forte of this well-bred daughter of Camelot and she'll have plenty more to offer now stepping up in trip once more.
There's no doubt this is her stiffest task to date entering Class 4 company, but the return to Nottingham holds no fears for this previous course winner and in all truth, I'm expecting her to be rated much higher than her current mark of 72 by the end of the season.
Selection: Sanction – General 2/1
The next best bet on the card comes in the British Stallion Studs EBF Nursery (3.47). Hayley Turner is edging ever closer to the 1000 winners mark and Let's Dream can provide the multiple Royal Ascot-winning rider with another career success this afternoon.
The son of Territories produced a clear career best on RPRs when upped to this trip on soft ground at Goodwood last time, a performance that saw him score in commanding fashion on the Sussex Downs.
An opening mark of 82 is probably stiff enough on his handicap debut but like most of these, he is open to plenty of improvement. You can argue that his four rivals could all improve for the step up in trip, but I'd much rather have proven stamina onside, as is the case with Let's Dream, and with that in mind, he looks fair value to follow up his Goodwood success and make a winning handicap bow.
Selection: Let's Dream – General 2/1
Our third and final wager comes on the all-weather from Kempton. The Try Unibet's Improved Bet Builder Handicap at 8.00 looks like a tight-knit handicap on paper but Starproof could be the one to side with at a nice each-way price.
The Muir & Grassick-trained runner finished one spot behind the reopposing Nogo's Dream when third over this trip at Wolverhampton 18 days ago but comes here slightly better off at the weights and I just cannot see how she's seven times the price of the aforementioned contender.
Lewis Edmunds gets back on board for the first time since they teamed up to score on soft ground at Ffos Las off 1lb lower than her current mark at Ffos Las in August, and with first-time cheekpieces a possible catalyst for improvement, she looks a really interesting proposition at a general price of 28/1.
Selection: Starproof – General 28/1
