Matt Brocklebank has the Thursday selections with his Nap in action at Chelmsford.
COMEDIAN LEADER was a massive eyecatcher when runner-up at Lingfield late last month, meeting trouble at a key time and never near than at the line. She’s been nudged up a couple of pounds in the weights for her troubles but remains on the right side of the assessor, having won off 8lb higher at Kempton earlier this year, and he looks well worth backing as he’s got decent course form here too.
CHESHIRE DANCER skipped an engagement at Yarmouth on Wednesday due to good to firm ground but conditions shouldn't be quite so lively on day one up at Ayr and Hugo Palmer's representative is backed to come out on top in the 10-furlong fillies' handicap. She has been consistent and largely progressive from the outset but stepped up again when tackling this trip for the first time at Sandown late last month, just bumping into a well-treated rival from the William Haggas yard. She's been raised 3lb for that but can continue to progress into the autumn of her three-year-old campaign and definitely looks one to keep on side at present.
MOLINARI has gone backwards in two public outings since a relatively encouraging run when fourth at Newcastle in May but the ground has been testing on each occasion and he should be much more at home on the prevailing ground in West Yorkshire. In fact, his record over 10 furlongs on a sound surface is really quite encouraging and, eased another 2lb in the weight since the last run at the end of August, he’s now fully 13lb lower than when last success. He could be worth chancing under top weight in this moderate-looking affair.
George Boughey is doing very well with the horses he's picked up from Sheikh Obaid, at the expense of Roger Varian of course, and it's not hard to see GRACIOUS LEADER adding to the tally. The horse is 0-3 on turf but those maiden/novice efforts are probably best ignored given the improvement he's made once sent handicapping on the all-weather, winning at Lingfield and last seen finishing third – beaten just a length – over this mile trip at Kempton. There could be a fair bit more to come from him, with a first-time tongue-tie enlisted on Wednesday another potential source of improvement.
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