3 minute read

After the excitement of ‘Arc’ weekend, we are back with two selections to start the week off well…

We head to Bath for the first selection with Dallas Star expected to post a big result in the 1m British EBF Future Stayers' Novice Stakes (Sire And Dam Restricted Race) (2:32). The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained colt has some useful form in defeat, having placed third behind Ancient Wisdom on debut over seven furlongs at Haydock Park, who subsequently finished third behind Rosallion in Listed company (Rosallion won the Group 1 Jean-Luc Lagardare on Sunday). The Cloth Of Stars colt out-ran expectations when midfield in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and followed up with a third behind Arabic Legend at Newmarket's July course, who also subsequently placed in Listed company.

Dallas Star has not been seen on the track since mid-July but his breeding would suggest the step up to a mile will be a major positive, especially as half-brother Apache Spirit was a Listed winner over a mile as a juvenile.

SELECTION – DALLAS STAR – 5/2

We switch to the jumps at Newton Abbot for our second selection. Dan Skelton's Lone Soldier should be capable of getting involved on his hurdling debut in the 2m1f Class 4 Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Novices' Hurdle (3:15). Although the five-year-old could only manage a well-beaten sixth on his first start in a Huntingdon bumper, he comes from a solid jumping pedigree with half-brother Tedham able to place in Grade 3 handicap hurdle company. The gelding is expected to improve for the switch to obstacles and the Skeltons are in excellent form lately, with Dan Skelton operating at a 33% strike rate from the last fourteen days. Brother Harry Skelton gets the leg-up, who is in a similar vein of form with a strike rate of 30%.

SELECTION – LONE SOLDIER – 9/2