Sunday’s UK racing tips come your way from the meetings at Fakenham and Nottingham.
NOTTINGHAM
Race 1 – JASOUR 4/6
JASOUR will be a popular pick in this maiden stakes test after hitting the bar at the first attempt.
Trained by Clive Cox, this son of Havana Grey made a very favourable impression in being beaten a neck by a more experienced runner at Salisbury. He hardly helped his cause by jumping a path and running around a bit in the finish, but his effort there can certainly be upgraded.
Race 2 – ONE NIGHT THUNDER 5/4
ONE NIGHT THUNDER bumped into a potential Group-race performer on his most recent run, but this particular novice stakes outing at Nottingham looks a perfect opportunity for compensation.
A narrow winner of a weak Kempton event on his racecourse debut in March, he appeared to have made significant subsequent strides for Richard Hannon when coming home third at Goodwood next time out. He looked very inexperienced on his initial start but Hannon felt he merited a chance in better company, stepping up to a mile on easy ground at the beginning of May.
However, he was unfortunate to clash with Royal Ascot hopeful Cicero’s Gift there, proving no match for the winner as he stayed on from a slow start to finish a six-and-a-half-length third. The second, Kolsai, was thought good enough to run in the Diomed subsequently, so that looks a pretty smart performance and while he has to find a bit on the ratings with Lord Of Biscay, One Night Thunder makes more appeal with race fitness on his side and a progressive looking profile.
Race 4 – POINT LYNAS 15/8
POINT LYNAS thrives on a fast surface and after a cracking run at York he might take some catching in in this handicap. An all-weather winner at Newcastle in March, he was firmly anchored by easier ground on his turf return at Newmarket, trailing home a well-beaten sixth. He showed that run to be all wrong back on faster ground on the Knavesmire, narrowly failing to reel in Croupier, beaten just a head on the line.
The handicapper has raised him 2lb for that run and a win here – and a 5lb penalty – would be a plus for his chances of making the cut for the Royal Hunt Cup later this month.
FAKENHAM
Race 2 – POLLYPOCKETT 5/1
POLLYPOCKETT made a promising return from 340 days off track and she can build on that in this handicap hurlde at Fakenham. Having previously not appeared to quite stay two and a half miles, she has seemingly found an extra bit of stamina during her layoff as she was not beaten far at all in third. That spin should have brought her on nicely for this.
