John Ingles of Timeform provides an overview of the key things to note on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Cathedral a big-money newcomer for Amo Racing
Lingfield’s two-year-old maiden over six furlongs (14:40) is for unraced fillies, and among the trainers represented in the field of 11 are Roger Varian, Harry Charlton, Saeed bin Suroor and William Haggas who has two runners. But of those who’ve gone through the sale ring, the one who comes with much the biggest price tag is Cathedral, trained by Ralph Beckett, who cost Amo Racing €800,000 when selling at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale at Deauville in May, the joint-highest price fetched by a filly at that sale.
Cathedral wasn’t Amo’s most expensive purchase that day, however, as they had to go to €1m for the colt Angelo Buonarroti who was successful on his first start since joining Beckett when winning the very valuable Convivial Maiden at the Ebor meeting recently. The trainer’s only other two-year-old runner in the Amo colours this year, Rock d’Oro, showed plenty of promise when second on his debut at Chelmsford last week.
By Too Darn Hot, Cathedral comes from a Juddmonte family which Beckett knows well as her dam is a half-sister to the stable’s very smart middle-distance filly Bluestocking and to useful three-year-old Qirat who won a valuable seven-furlong handicap at Goodwood recently. Their two-year-old half-brother Dissident is set to make his debut for the same stable at Salisbury on Thursday. Cathedral holds a Moyglare Stud Stakes entry, and while that would surely come too quickly, it does show that she’s held in high regard.
Half-brothers take each other on in Bath sprint
Bath’s five-furlong handicap (16:05) sees some sibling rivalry, with Glamorous Express, trained by Tony Carroll, taking on his older half-brother Just Glamorous, trained by Christopher Mason. Just Glamorous is well into the veteran stage nowadays, at the age of 11, but was a smart sprinter in his younger days with Ron Harris, taking on the likes of Battaash and Lady Aurelia and giving a beating to Group 1 winners Marsha and Goldream in a Group 3 at Chantilly. But while Just Glamorous was still capable of winning in ordinary handicap company last summer, he’s been operating below his recent best so far this season.
Younger half-brother Glamorous Express, on the other hand, comes into this in good form and looks the one to beat, topping the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 1 lb. A course-and-distance winner at two when he too was trained by Harris, Glamorous Express won twice on the all-weather in March and has re-found his form of late now that he’s dropped to a handy mark. On his latest start at Sandown last Friday he was only beaten around half a length into third behind Harb despite not getting the clearest of runs and he can go close again off the same mark here.
Elforleather going for a hat-trick in the mud
Heavy ground is forecast for Hamilton’s evening card but that should play into the hands of Jack Channon’s Elforleather who makes the long journey from West Ilsley in Berkshire for the 13-furlong handicap (18:45). He’s the only runner on the card for his stable which has had only five runners at the Scottish track this year but won a valuable five-furlong handicap there in June with smart sprinter Desperate Hero. Elforleather himself went close on his previous visit to Hamilton in July when beaten a short head over course and distance.
That was on good to firm ground, but Elforleather has done better still of late under much softer conditions. He was beaten a short head again at Ffos Las in August but has since won both his starts, including on a return visit to Wales where he was successful on heavy ground and then followed up on soft at Windsor ten days later. Elforleather looked better the further he went in a race that tested stamina last time, so the extra furlong here, as well as testing conditions again, look very much in his favour.
Tip of the Day
Rock Melody – 18:15 Hamilton
Flags: Horses For Courses, Top-Rated
Rock Melody can make the most of a drop in class in this fillies’ handicap over six furlongs. Jim Goldie’s mare couldn’t get competitive in a much stronger similar event over seven furlongs at the Ebor meeting a couple of weeks ago but should find life easier here despite top weight. In a busy campaign, she got off the mark for the season over this course and distance in July having slipped to a career-low mark.
Rock Melody won that big-field contest in rare style too, slicing through the pack whilst barely coming off the bridle and getting a gap late on to lead in the dying strides under Amie Waugh who takes 5 lb off her back again here. The re-opposing Iris Dancer and Slainte Mhath made the frame on that occasion but Rock Melody, who heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, can show she’s still on a good mark.
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