We head to the seaside for our first selection and Brighton is a track that jockey Andrea Atzeni doesn't exactly visit often. The Italian-born rider has had just six rides there in the last five years with three of them returning successful. Fresh off the back of his Group 2 German 2000 Guineas victory at Cologne yesterday I'm hopeful he can continue the run of good form on board Rawyaan in the Bresbet Supports Rising Stars Handicap at 4.10.
The George Baker-trained four-year-old looks to have worked his way back into form and produced his best effort for some time when a solid third over course and distance thirty-eight days ago. The striking grey kept on nicely in the closing stages and was only beaten one-and-a-half lengths at the line. A 1lb drop in the weights looks generous to me and the handicapper is seemingly giving him a real chance to get his head back in front. The fourth-placed horse, Mountbatten, has won back-to-back Class 4 handicaps subsequently and the runner-up has also held his form well.
George Baker's charge is now 1lb below his last winning mark (Goodwood 1m Good-to-Firm) and with the rattling ground to suit, he looks a really solid bet to record a fourth career success.
Selection: Rawyaan – General 11/4
Lingfield hosts its first turf meeting of the year (following the abandonment of their Derby Trial meeting), and Ed Dunlop's Royal Dream catches my eye in the opening At The Races App Market Movers Handicap at 5.40.
He made a really pleasing handicap debut when keeping on steadily for fourth over a mile at Southwell nineteen days ago and shaped as though this stiffer stamina test would be right up his sleeve.
That was the gelding's first outing since October and Ed Dunlop's horses tend to strip plenty fitter for their initial starts of the season.
The step up to 1m2f looks likely to bring about plenty of improvement and I'm expecting a bold bid off an unchanged mark with the forecast quick ground unlikely to be an issue.
Selection: Royal Dream – General 9/2
A trip to Ireland is in order for our third and final wager. There are eight races from Tipperary to keep punters entertained this evening and I'm fully anticipating Not Forgotten to get off the mark at the third attempt in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction at 5.15.
I've had this horse in my tracker since he made his quietly pleasing debut in a competitive two-year-old event at Naas in September. Although only seventh of sixteen that day he stuck to his task well in the closing stages and shaped as though he'd come on plenty for the run.
It was no surprise to see connections go up in trip for his second outing and once again he impressed me by finishing third in what looked a warm enough maiden over a mile at Dundalk in April. As anticipated, the form has worked out nicely with the winner going on to finish sixth in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh over the weekend. Aidan O'Brien's Unless filled the runner-up spot that day at Dundalk and subsequently got off the mark in impressive fashion at Naas. She holds entries in the Pretty Polly Stakes and Irish Oaks, so connections obviously hold her in some regard.
Dropping back half a furlong should be of no issue for this son of National Defense given how strongly he travelled at Dundalk on his reappearance and a replication of his last-time-out third-place finish should see him find the winners' enclosure for the first time this evening.
Selection: Not Forgotten – General 13/8
