There’s plenty of action to get stuck into across the UK and Ireland this Wednesday and Sam King returns with four selections.
Goodwood plays host to seven races this afternoon. Course specialist Rhoscolyn was close to being a selection in the 2.30 but with his best form coming over the seven-furlong trip and not today's mile, he's just passed over.
That leads us to our first selection and I'm expecting a big effort from Coco Bear back under his favourable conditions.
Patrick Chamings' progressive five-year-old relishes soft ground and rattled off a hat-trick with cut underfoot at Windsor, Leicester, and Ascot earlier in the season. He returned to the track after a short break when sixth at Newmarket (July) but having travelled nicely into contention, the gelded son of Kodi Bear failed to pick up in the closing stages on ground officially described as good.
A mark of 79 is still likely to be within range back on soft ground and with this likely to set up well for his hold-up style, he looks like a cracking each-way bet.
Selection: Coco Bear – General 6/1
My Prospero should take some beating in the feature Foundation Stakes (3.40) but at the prices, I'm happy to let him go. However, the same cannot be said for Les Bleus in the following British EBF 100,000 2YO Fillies' Series Final (4.15).
With early money coming for George Boughey's recent Doncaster scorer Chic Colombine, the Richard Hughes-trained Les Bleus now looks like a fairly attractive betting proposition at around the 11/4 mark.
A rating of 96 sets a really decent standard in a contest of this nature and although she was firmly put in her place by the smart Darnation in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes on the Town Moor thirteen days ago, it remained a likeable effort especially when translated to this grade.
She produced a fine effort when third behind subsequent Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Fallen Angel in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket (July) in August, and backed that up with a very solid fourth-placed finish on heavy ground in Group 2 company at Deauville a few weeks later.
The booking of Ryan Moore can only be a positive for Richard Hughes' filly and with no qualms about ground conditions, trip, or grade, she must have every chance of bagging this valuable two-year-old prize.
Selection: Les Bleus – General 11/4
Our final two wagers come from Kempton. I tipped King Cabo to score here last week and I'm happy to give him one more chance in the Try Unibet's New Acca Boosts Handicap (7.30) this evening.
Luke Dace's charge bumped into one when trying to land a bit of a touch at Sandown and was only reeled in late on over a mile here nine days ago having looked the winner for much of the straight.
Dropping back to the seven-furlong trip looks a logical option and you can't fault this four-year-old for consistency. Marco Ghiani knows him well and I expect the Italian to be plenty positive enough on the gelded son of Carpe Diem dropping back in distance from a good draw in stall five. In all truth, the pace around him looks fairly moderate and it wouldn't be a total surprise were he to get
something of a freebie on the front end. He's due to go up 2lb in the not-so-distant future for that excellent runner-up effort here last week and can make amends this time around.
Selection: King Cabo – General 5/2
Later on the card I like the chances of Fiscal Policy as he bids to bounce back to form in the Unibet Support Safe Gambling Handicap at 8.00.
The Kubler-trained gelding was fairly consistent in the early parts of the season but has thrown in two poor efforts at Salisbury and Chelmsford of late. That said, there was a snug success at Wolverhampton between those runs for good measure and it's possible his latest outing at Chelmsford just came too soon.
A mark of 65 is the same rating he finished a rock-solid runner-up off over six furlongs here in July and he shaped as though going up to seven that day would suit, staying on pleasingly in the closing stages.
Main market rivals Embarked and Done Decision are both situated out wide and with three-time all-weather winner Fiscal Policy drawn in stall two, he looks the most likely scorer going up to seven furlongs for the first time.
Selection: Fiscal Policy – General 3/1
