There are five meetings to get stuck into across the UK and Ireland and Sam King returns with a trio of selections to boost your Monday mood.
We head to Scotland for our first selection and Karl Burke's Dark Encounter may take some stopping in the opening EBF Stallions Novice Stakes at Ayr (2.20).
The Spigot lodge-based handler is enjoying a fine season with his juveniles and arrives in good form following an impressive 25% (14-55) strike-rate for the last fortnight.
Dark Encounter probably bumped into a smart colt when runner-up on debut at Redcar last month and looked as though he'd learn plenty from that experience. An RPR of 82 is 3 higher than that of main market rival Cerulean Bay, who has to give the Karl Burke colt 7lb following his winning debut and the likely chief threat may come from Charlie Johnston's newcomer Individualism.
That said, Dark Encounter should have plenty more to offer now going up to seven furlongs with more ease in the ground and the Dark Angel colt can get off the mark at the second attempt.
Selection: Dark Encounter – General 6/4
Our second wager also comes from Ayr. The Follow RacingTV On Twitter Handicap at 4.05 looks like a tight-knit handicap but I'm hopeful Geremia can come out on top.
Jim Goldie's last six runners have yielded results of 115231 and he's certainly no stranger to saddling winners at Ayr.
Geremia finds himself just 3lb higher than when winning snugly over this trip at Hamilton in May and did very little wrong off this mark when bumping into the well-handicapped Blow Your Horn when third at Beverley in June. His sixth-placed finish at Pontefract reads better than the bare result given he was slowly away in a race not run to suit.
Jim Goldie's contender will definitely appreciate going back up in trip on this softer surface and although he does have a tendency to start slowly, there should be enough pace up front for him to work his way into things and I'm expecting the feasibly treated five-year-old to pick them off with a late charge.
Selection: Geremia – General 11/4
Chepstow plays host to seven races this evening and one horse has caught my eye in the Tmgroup Handicap (Div 2) at 7.35.
David O'Meara has sent just one horse to Chepstow this evening and given his strike-rate at the track Autumnal Breeze has to be of interest based on that alone. The Upper Helmsley-based trainer has saddled seven winners from his last seventeen runners (41%) at Chepstow and this daughter of Bungle Inthejungle certainly has the form to play a major role.
It's fair to say Autumnal Breeze was disappointing on her last start for previous connections when well-beaten over five furlongs at Down Royal but it wouldn't be the first time David O'Meara has rejuvenated a horse on stable debut.
She kept on strongly to score off this mark at Tipperary in May and if finding some extra improvement on this first outing over six furlongs, David O'Meara's filly doesn't look handicapped out of things with Hollie Doyle an interesting booking.
Selection: Autumnal Breeze – General 5/1
