The Flat season in Britain & Ireland is fast approaching its conclusion but there’s still some top quality racing to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Pontefract, Ayr and Yarmouth, September 19
There are five meetings for punters to tackle on Horse Racing Thursday and we have picked out our three strongest selections for the day, including a potentially well-treated handicapper in a £30,000 event at Ayr.
Horse Racing Thursday: 3.03 P- Ben & Mary Hibbert Memorial Handicap
Thursday’s third race at Pontefract is an interesting puzzle but Charlie Appleby’s KING’S REIGN makes the most appeal on his handicap debut.
The three-year-old has had only three starts in his career and an opening handicap mark of 77 looks more than reasonable.
A third-placed finish in a novice event at Southwell earlier this month was a creditable effort as he had little chance up against an impressive winner in Shader, and the form received a boost earlier this week when that horse followed up in fine style under a penalty at Kempton.
There was plenty to like about that run from King’s Reign, who is clearly still learning. The son of Dubawi should be suited by the switch to handicaps and there could be plenty of improvement to come.
Appleby is not a regular visitor to Pontefract – he has saddled only five runners there in the last five seasons – but it is always noteworthy when Godolphin’s main trainer does and his only runner at the Yorkshire track this year won.
Horse Racing Thursday: 3.42 Ayr – Kilkerran Handicap
MARHABA THE CHAMP’s runs this season leave a little to be desired but he could nonetheless be one to key an eye on in Ayr’s Kilkerran Handicap.
Kevin Ryan’s gelding can be forgiven his latest run, when he was short of room and was then hampered shortly after. It wouldn’t have made a huge difference but he would have probably finished closer than he did in a competitive handicap at York.
He has slipped to a mark of 92, just 1lb higher than when he claimed his most recent success over 1m4f in August 2023, and there’s every chance he will be in the mix if producing a similar effort at Ayr.
This son of Galileo has won over 1m2f previously and it would be unwise to rule him out with James Doyle an eye-catching jockey booking.
Horse Racing Thursday: 4.25 Yarmouth – Goffs Orby Handicap
There are a couple of likely contenders in this race but Jack Channon’s THE GOOD BISCUIT gets the nod. He’s lightly raced and boasts a very consistent profile, finishing in the first two in four of his eight starts to date.
His best effort this year came when finishing second at Leicester to Sergeant Wilko, who has gone on to complete a hat-trick, in May and The Good Biscuit filled the same position when last seen at Ripon, where he has narrowly beaten by a head. A 2lb rise is unlikely to prevent him from putting in another big effort and there are few better jockeys to take over on top than Tom Marquand.
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