Two good places. Well done George.

Wd George gl …

Blue Force

Blue Force is eligible for weaker races than this one, but I'm going to take a chance at the prices as he's looked in good nick at Wolverhampton in a couple of starts since returning from an 80-day break, winning over 6f at odds of 25-1 when beating Style King, who also runs here, and although he could only finish 4th of the 9 runners when favourite last time over 5f, not sure the race panned out ideally but he still shaped as though in form. He's a dual C&D winner, albeit off lower marks, so hopefully he's fine with the return to this track.

Unlucky with Blue Force (went third inside final furlong, no extra inside final 110yds).

When/why did Ray Craggs (Khabib) start up again?

Thanks GB

Lily Pearl

Lily Pearl was a selection last time when I wrote:

Lily Pearl is returning from three months off so fitness has to be taken on trust, particularly with her having been weak enough in the betting so far today. She's off interest now back on softer ground as she looked to one to keep on side when pulling away with two others on good to soft last autumn at Pontefract (6f, g-s), on what was her only encounter to date with ground with an ease in it; the third and fourth have both races this season.

The selection has only been seen twice so far this year, running okay to finish third at Carlisle (6f, good) on her reappearance in May, before finishing down the field on quick ground at Wetherby (7f) in June, where she reportedly hung badly left-handed.

The stalls are on the stands' side this evening so it remains to be seen how that pans out for her from the 8 of 10 draw, with the RP's draw analysis suggesting middle numbers may hold a slight advantage, but a chance is taken here with her being unexposed on softer ground.

====================================================

Lily Pearl was outpaced before making some progress once meeting the rising ground to finish fifth of 9 in a C&D contest in which a few of her rivals also ran last time. The concern is that a similar scenario will unfold again today, but she should be sharper for that first run in three months and does have a pull at the weights with the winner Annie Edson Taylor, so a chance is taken at the odds.

It's likely the selection does ideally want an ease in the ground but has to prove today's forecast heavy ground is suitable, and like last time she has been noticeably weak in the betting so far today.

Cheers Brian. She was sharper for that recent comeback run but the winner is evidently thriving on the soft / heavy ground.

2026 Running P/L: +50.64 pts

Wd George gl ....

Vincent Rocks

Vincent Rocks hasn't shaped too badly in a couple of starts on the all-weather since joining Ruth Carr from Hugo Palmer, keeping on from off the pace at Newcastle in July to be beaten under three lengths into 5th of 14 (just over 2L behind On The River, with whom he has a 4lb pull); and perhaps more notably last time at Kempton in the London Mile Series Final Handicap, when in a reapplied visor (retained this evening) he did plenty of running from a wide draw to get into a prominent position, and having led around 3f out, he was headed over a furlong out before weakening out of it. The winner of the Newcastle handicap, Victory Ace, finished second in that Series final.

He doesn't have Warren Fentiman's 3lb claim this time but has been dropped a further 2lb, and hopefully this drop in class will see him more competitive at the busniess end. He did win a novice as a juvenile over C&D for his previous yard so is proven at this venue, and having had just the four starts on synthetics (and nine in total) he's not fully exposed.

A couple of poor ones...

As well as Vincent Rocks, I also considered selecting the Ruth Carr runner, Carron, in the other division, who was 3-4 on the all-weather for previous yards, and had caught the eye on his stable debut over the 7f trip here last time, when it looked as though he would have finished a lot closer with anything like a clear run, but passed on that one given his total dismissal by the market at the early odds.

Both the Carr runners ran shockers, virtually stopping to nothing up the home straight and beaten an aggregate of 69 lengths.

==============

I had to pay to find out that Bami is probably a better horse on turf than the all-weather, unless she's just best when fresh having won off a six-month break at Newbury, and then a further two months off before finishing second at Newmarket; back from a 'mere' 32 days off on this occasion, she didn't look in much form.

2026 Running P/L: +46.64 pts

Black Endeavour

Both of Black Endeavour's wins have come over 65 when rated 65 and he's back on that mark following a 3lb drop having finishing last of 12 at Salisbury just twelve days ago, when it's likely the soft ground didn't suit.

Of his three other runs since his win at Doncaster in June, he still shaped as though in form when finishing 6th of 12, beaten 4L at Newbury in July (6f, g-f), finishing first of the four who had raced stands' side on a day when that part of the track didn't look favoured, and two of the other three who raced on the stands' side with him have won since, whilst the other finished a close second on her next two starts. His other two starts since came over 7f, which might not be his optimum trip, but it still looked a creditable effort at Southwell earlier this month where he kept on well to finish fourth having been caught on the outer and raced a bit keenly.

The Southwell run was just his second try on the all-weather and it gave encouragement that he can win races on an artificial surface. His other AW start was at Kempton (7f, 4lb higher mark) when he could only finish 6th of the 7 runners, beaten just under 5L, however, the run was likely needed back from over six months off, and it was probably decent form for the grade with the first three all winning subsequently.

A disappointing effort from Black Endeavour, even allowing for having been rushed up four wide into the first bend, and perhaps a third run in around three weeks with this one coming after dropping out on soft ground at Salisbury 12 days earlier, had left him in need of a longer break.

2026 Running P/L: +44.64 pts

Frances Ethel

Frances Ethel would apppear to face a stiff task upped further in class to Group 3 level having finished 4th last time at Listed level over 14f (soft) at Longchamp in a contest won by one rated 9lb lower than herself, however, the ground then might not have been ideal, and this mare, who was formerly trained in South Africa, may still have some upside for her current yard based on her run last month in a Shergar Cup handicap (12f, g-f), when given how that race panned out she seemed to do well to hang in there for fourth place. The winner, Asgard's Captain, has since won a valuable Listed race in Sweden.

The Ascot run was only her second try over 12f, having won over the distance the one time she ran over it in her home country, and it's easy to see why based on that evidence connections thought she would be worth a go at 14f, but she's still of interest back at 12f as she may have more to come for the Haggas yard now she has had time to acclimatise.

Fair to say I'm back on the cold list...

Frances Ethel wasn't up to Group 3 level. The RP form comment did note she looked "unbalanced" over 2f out, so perhaps the Rowley Mile on quickish ground isn't for her, but whatever, she should find more realistic opportunities when dropped back in class.

It seemed over a furlong out that Chapel Island was about to deliver a potent challenge down the stands' side, usually a good place to be, but then the centre runners just pulled away from him, with the two he was with on his stands' side dropping away. I've not seen the other races on the card yet so can't comment on whether or not there was something going on with how the track was playing. He did keep on so perhaps he just needs a track with a stiffer finish.

2026 Running P/L: +40.64 pts

Jel Pepper

It's not easy to fancy Jel Pepper on what he's shown this year, particularly as this is his first attempt at 5f and his connections also run a leading contender, having seemingly not gone on for the Cole yard, and a couple of starts for Stuart Wlliams following a 65,000 gns sale haven't suggested he's a winner waiting to happen, however, I'm going to have a speculative pick on him back on more demanding ground.

He ran out an impressive winner of a Goodwood maiden on his debut, the only time he has raced on soft ground to date, and the other two occasions as a juvenile when he raced with officially a bit of ease in the ground, each time in valuable sales races, he fared best of the low drawn horses at Naas (6f, g-y) to finish 4th of 21, and then at Doncaster (6.5f, g-s) he didn't get the clearest of runs before finishing 7th of 21.

It has to be said he had some decent form on a sound surface as a juvenile, so it's not that he's obviously ground dependent, but as a half-brother to Ballymount Boy, who was second in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes on soft ground, before going on to be a Listed winner on heavy, interesting to see if today's ground can be the catalyst for a return to form.

A particularly poor week is finished off with a couple of shockers.

I was keen to give Jez Pepper a chance on today's ground for the reasons given, but it was a risky one given he hasn't looked in much form this season, and he offered little again today. Perhaps he'll find his level again for his new connections when down the weights as a 4YO.

Nobelos was still an unknown quantity after just two starts which included an Ascot win, and looked an intriguing runner sent across the Irish Sea with big money up for grabs, but a triple-digit Betfair SP suggested not much was expected and his limitations were exposed.

2026 Running P/L: +36.64 pts

East Hampton

With the ground having turned heavy at the Curragh, East Hampton makes a little each-way appeal at the prices, even though 6f is probably a bit on the sharp side for him. His two runs when heavy has appeared in the going description, saw him win a 3YO 7f handicap off a mark of 89, finishing clear with one other, and this season on his reappearance over 7f at the Curragh, finishing second to one of today's rivals Big Gossey, when they had subsequent Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Ten Bob Tony in behind.

As well as the trip being a concern, his usual pilot and stable jockey Luke McAteer has seemingly opted to take an outside ride on a similarly priced longshot, which is hardly a vote of confidence assuming he had the choice, but a chance is taken in the hope that on this drop in trip he can be kept closer to the pace than he usually is.

Granite Bay

Granite Bay couldn't get the job done last time at Chester (2m, soft) in a class 2 heritage handicap having been well positioned in a steadily run race, having to give best to the rival he had set the pace with, however, he had raced in the two path on a day when the track was back at its innermost configuration and racing around the inner appeared a considerable advantage.

There is a stamina query having appeared not to stay 2m1f at the Galway festival when a beaten favourite in an amateur riders' contest, but otherwise he has shaped as though worth a try over this sort of test including when a rallying 3rd over 14f here in June on yielding.

He appears to handle heavy ground, the latest riding sensation Reece Holohan takes off a useful 7lb and cheekpieces are tried for the first time.