Timeform's Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front today.
Three points of interest
Note Varian sole runner at Thirsk
Roger Varian doesn’t have many runners at Thirsk, which isn’t too much of a surprise given the long journey from his Newmarket base, but a strike rate of 27% over the last five seasons advertises he is a trainer to take seriously at this venue.
Midnight’s Dream will be Varian’s fourth runner at Thirsk this season and also the fourth time this year he has only sent the one horse to the track.
He makes his handicap debut over seven furlongs (16:20) and doesn’t look badly treated from an opening mark of 70. He bumped into the impressive Night Raider on his debut at Southwell in December and showed the benefit of his reappearance when third at Salisbury last time.
There return to seven furlongs will help him and he’s an interesting runner given he arrives much less exposed than his rivals.
O’Meara leading trainer at Thirsk
David O’Meara is the leading trainer at Thirsk this year, and by some way, too, notching 14 wins at an impressive strike rate of 35%, which has also produced a healthy £1 level-stakes profit of £26.31.
O’Meara has four runners at the track on Monday and his best chance of a winner could be with Lokana, who goes in the fillies’ handicap over a mile (16:50).
She was steadily progressive as a juvenile and opened her account in a maiden over seven furlongs at this course on her reappearance in May.
Lokana finished midfield in a race which is working out well two starts back and confirmed she is back in form when third at Ripon last time. That wasn’t a bad run and her mark continues to slide, so she looks interesting in what is now the weakest handicap she will have contested.
Weld a trainer to note at Laytown
Laytown is a very unique fixture in the Irish racing calendar as it is run on the beach and takes place only once a year.
In the last five years, Dermot Weld has had only two runners at Laytown, but both have won, so that means you have to seriously consider his sole runner at the venue on Monday.
Livio Milo has a useful pedigree, but remains with just a maiden win to his name, which came at Galway last summer. He has run some solid races in defeat so far this season, though, and those efforts put him in with a solid chance in this seven-furlong handicap (18:35).
This is clearly a rare test, and he hasn’t even run on the all-weather before, but it is interesting that his excellent, very experienced trainer has chosen this race for him, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Tip of the Day
Midnight Drive – 19:00 Kempton
Flags: Horse In Focus, Sectional, Top Rated
Midnight Drive showed improved form to open her account on her handicap debut over this course and distance in April and she progressed further when following up the following month.
She did so in much more comfortable fashion that day, never too far away in a slowly-run race but still impressing with how she put the race to bed. Midnight Drive failed to land a hat-trick on her turf debut last month, but she fared best of those who were held up, and left the impression she remains on a good mark.
That was also her first start for four months, so she’s entitled to strip fitter, and she makes plenty of appeal returned to this course and distance where she has won both of her starts.
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