3 minute read

Thursday sees some competitive action across the UK and Ireland and Sam King returns with a trio of selections including a horse that can bounce back to winning ways in this evening's Racing League.

The Racing League might not be everybody's cup of tea (he writes as sipping on a beautiful brew), but it certainly provides competitive heats from a betting perspective.

Saffie Osborne has taken this competition by storm but thankfully she doesn't have a ride in the William Hill Keep Your Raceday Positive Racing League Race 16 Handicap at 5.30 and that may leave the door open for young Billy Loughnane on Conquistador.

George Boughey has done well with the son of U S Navy Flag since picking him up from the Clarehaven team and his new recruit made an immediate impact when scoring readily on stable debut at Wolverhampton back in December.

He followed that up with a comfortable success on his handicap debut at Lingfield twelve weeks later and took his form to a new level when third in the five-furlong Palace of Hollyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot next-time-out.

You can draw a line through his latest effort at Newmarket where he stumbled coming out the gates and was always on the back foot from there on. The return to six furlongs looks a real positive (won his sole outing over this trip) and it's interesting that connections have also opted to put the hood back on given he also won his only start in that particular headgear.

He remains lightly-raced in handicaps of this nature and with Billy Loughnane taking off a very valuable 3lb a current mark of 85 looks well within range for this progressive sprinter.

Selection: Conquistador – General 9/2

I'm a big fan of siding with trainers enjoying a good run and that is certainly the case for Newmarket handler Ed Dunlop. He looks to have an excellent chance with Pressure's On at Wolverhampton but he doesn't appeal much at the prices and it's his other runner, Orchestra that can offer some value in the Kevin Hall & Pat Boakes Memorial Handicap at Salisbury (5.10).

It's no shock to see the more unexposed three-year-olds towards the fore of the market but with the dead eight going to post this looks like a decent each-way betting contest.

The gelded son of Golden Horn has lost his way of late and will need to bounce back to get involved. That certainly looks possible though with the first-time cheekpieces applied and if doing so he's feasibly handicapped to play a major role.

It's the form of his Beverley success off 1lb higher in May that catches the eye with the runner-up and third home that day both going on to score subsequently. Additionally, the fifth and ninth-placed horses have both won since and that race has a really solid look to it for the grade.

A current mark of 76 poses no issues with the aforementioned Beverley win coming off 75 and he followed that up with a reasonable effort when a non-staying third over a mile and a half at the same venue. The mile-and-a-quarter trip at a track like Salisbury should be right up his street and if the application of cheekpieces works some magic I could see him going well at a double-figure price.

Selection: Orchestra – General 12/1

We head back to the Racing League for our third and final wager.

Wales & The West look to hold a strong hand in the William Hill Enhanced Odds Every Day Racing League Race 20 Handicap at 7.30 and Saffie Osborne will be hoping she can keep the ball rolling on the progressive Gallant Lion. However, the team look to have a similar progressive contender in the shape of Fulfilled and he's preferred at slightly bigger odds.

The improving son of Ulysses made it two wins from three starts for the campaign under a confident hands-and-heels ride at Lingfield last time. He seems most effective when the gallop is strong and should get this run-to-suit tonight with a number of confirmed horses who like to be handy.

A 5lb rise for David Simcock's charges latest success looks potentially lenient and I'm hopeful the improving four-year-old can follow up with ground conditions also in his favour.

Selection: Fulfilled – General 11/2