UK Horse Racing Tips

Despite just eight runners, the Londonmetric Noel Murless Stakes (3.35) at Ascot on Friday presents a thorny puzzle, with doubts about each of the participants for one reason or another. Sevenna Star carries a Pattern race penalty for winning the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown in April, but subsequently disappointed in the Derby and the Great Voltigeur Stakes, while Austrian School, too, is becoming frustrating after finishing second on five of his last six starts. Mekong evidently enjoyed testing conditions, not for the first time in his career, when hacking up at Haydock last month, but is consequently 1lb worse off for the 1¾ lengths he finished behind Ghostwatch on his previous start, on faster ground, in the Melrose Handicap at York.

With the weather in Berkshire set fair for the next few days, Ghostwatch could be the one to take advantage. Gelded in August, the son of Dubawi won the Melrose Handicap on his first start back and, although no match for First Eleven – trained, like Sevenna Star, by John Gosden – over 1 mile 4 furlongs on this course next time, should appreciate stepping back up in distance. The gelding operation appears to have corrected his slightly ‘wayward’ tendencies, as was always the intention of his trainer Charlie Appleby, and the son of Dubawi looks ready for his first crack at some ‘black type’.

Selection: Ascot 3.35 Ghostwatch to win 11/4

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