3 minute read
Quest For Fun’s first career victory at Thirsk has worked out well and he has every chance of following up in the Book Your Ayr Gold Cup Tickets Handicap at Ayr.
The gelded son of Lope De Vega shaped with significant promise in three juvenile outings in novice company at Newcastle last term, with a sixth-placed debut finish followed by neck and head defeats.
He was set a stiff enough task on his handicap debut and reappearance at Haydock in May and was ultimately well beaten, but it looked to serve a purpose.
Dropped 4lb ahead of his most recent outing in North Yorkshire, Julie Camacho's inmate finished with a flourish to open his account – a performance which looks even better with hindsight as both the runner-up Ghathanfar and the third home Lovely Mana won next time.
A 7lb hike clearly makes life more difficult, but Quest For Fun remains lightly-raced and may not yet have reached the ceiling of his ability.
Also at Ayr, Mark and Charlie Johnston's Golden Flame faces his easiest task for a while in the Ayrshire Cancer Support Handicap.
What will be in his favour to begin with is a much smaller field and he may well be able to dominate.
That has certainly not been the case the last twice in the Ascot Stakes and the Northumberland Plate.
They are two of the most competitive staying handicaps of the season, so it was no surprise that his forcing tactics did not work.
Golden Flame has won three times and the biggest field he has won in was a six-runner affair at Haydock.
He faces just five rivals once more and while he is still 5lb above his last winning mark, a new pair of hands in Cieren Fallon might just work the oracle.
Kendred Fire ran his best race for some time when second at Redcar recently and gets the nod in the Family Day Bank Holiday Monday 29th August Handicap at Ripon.
Jedd O'Keeffe's three-year-old won at Thirsk last season but his form eventually tailed off.
Clearly in need of his first outing this season, he shaped better next time and was only beaten a length and a quarter on his most recent start.
Tim Easterby's Myristica is a half-sister to sprinting stablemate Lampang, but being by Derby winner Harzand she was never going to be a sprinter.
It has taken time for her to fully mature but she holds solid claims of bringing up her hat-trick in the Armstrong Memorial Handicap.
She is 10lb higher than for the first of her two recent wins but nevertheless looks on an upward curve.
Jumping fare comes from Worcester, where course and distance winner Coral ought to go close in the John Burke Handicap Chase.
Fergal O'Brien's grey has run six times at this particular track and has won twice and been placed on a couple of occasions.
He failed to fire on his latest visit, but that run came just a week after his previous outing, so perhaps it came too soon and he deserves another chance.
SELECTIONS:
AYR: 1.50 Dornoch Castle, 2.25 Polam Lane, 3.00 Wrecked It Ralph, 3.35 Golden Flame, 4.10 QUEST FOR FUN (NAP), 4.45 Yaaser, 5.15 Tele Red.
RIPON: 6.10 Greycious Anna, 6.40 Ramamaras Boy, 7.10 Deputy, 7.45 Myristica, 8.15 Glam De Vega, 8.45 Kendred Fire.
ROSCOMMON: 5.30 Scarpeta, 6.00 Vinnie Is Busy, 6.30 Desert Friend, 7.00 Amir Kabir, 7.30 Petrol Head, 8.00 Dalileo, 8.30 Gaudriole.
WORCESTER: 1.00 Drumlee Watar, 1.35 Coral, 2.10 Western Safire, 2.45 American Sniper, 3.20 Tiger Orchid, 3.55 My Poem, 4.30 Pillar Of Steel, 5.05 Bird On The Wire.
DOUBLE: Kendred Fire and Quest For Fun.