Sam King returns with two selections on Thursday afternoon...
We head to Southwell for our first selection, and I fully expect Lady Of Spain to take her record to three-from-three in the Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Fillies' Handicap (3.10).
The daughter of Phoenix Of Spain has clearly had her issues, but both times we've seen her on the track it's been hard not to be impressed. She quickened up in the manner of a useful filly when making a winning debut at Wolverhampton last December, before running on nicely to collar the now 92-rated Approval by a neck over the same course and distance in March.
A similar lengthy break shouldn't pose any issues and with the Roger Varian team in fine form, it's fair to say she ought to be fully tuned up for this. Stable jockey James Doyle gets on board for the first and off a potentially lenient opening mark of 84, this progressive three-year-old can make a winning handicap debut.
WIN – Lady Of Spain
Odds – 7/4
Newbury is the port of call for our next wager. The decent ground at the West Berkshire venue has seen a handful of non-runners, but Destroytheevidence shouldn't mind the drying conditions in the BetVictor's Weekend Winners Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
Despite finishing a good runner-up to Shanagh Bob in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham's December meeting, Destroytheevidence always looked like he was going to make a better chaser and wasted no time in getting off the mark over the larger obstacles at Chepstow on his reappearance last month.
A winning margin of two lengths doesn't tell the story of his dominance on that occasion, with Kim Bailey's charge having matters under control from some way out.
He finished fourth in the Grade 2 River Don Novices' Hurdle on good ground last season so shouldn't mind the ground being on the sharp side and with Kim Bailey having started the season well, it's easy to see him shrugging off a 5lb rise to remain unbeaten over fences.
WIN – Destroytheevidence
Odds – 5/4
