Degale never looked to be in a good rhythm whilst on a contested pace and gave way from over a furlong out.

Caught U Sleeping duelled with the eventual winner and briefly looked like she might come out on top (traded around 1.3) but it wasn't to be with the winner nicely on top at the finish. 10p Rule 4.

2026 Running P/L: +25.12 pts

Al Shabab Storm

Al Shabab Storm's finishing effort at Thirsk last time was tame so has a bit to prove on the back off that, however, he had previously shaped better than his finishing suggested at Chester's May meeting (7.5f, good), on what was his debut for Mick Appleby, where he was drawn and raced wide whilst racing racing keenly but remained close up until inside the final furlong, the distance beaten exacerbated being short of room once headed. Brighton Boy, who ran a similar sort of race, won a competitive class 3 handicap at Thirsk on his next start.

The selection has only had four starts on the all-weather and some of his form last year in this sphere reads quite well having finished a close third in a 7f Listed contest at Wolverhampton, then last summer having finished a close third in a class two Racing league handicap back at that track off an 11lb higher mark, and in the autumn not been disgraced when finishing 3rd at Kempton (6f) in a conditions race behind useful all-weather performer Ten Pounds. His only disappointing run on Tapeta came at Newcastle over 7f, where he weakened quickly from over a furlong out, but had been noted to have been "going easily" over 2f out.

At the age of five and after 21 starts, this will be his first try at 5f, but he's an interesting runner having been dropped 7lb for his starts for his current yard, and with Conor Whiteley (who has just lost his 7lb claim) enlisted to ease his burden further.

Cheers Foyles. I suppose it might be a question of whether or not there's any juice left in the orange after spells with Balding and B0tti, but I certainly thought there were positives to be taken from his stable debut, though he didn't build on it last time.

Brilliant george vwd

Well done George

VWD George !!    Sherlock Holmes level picjkingge there !  #stellah !! :)

Well done George, I love your reasoning, beautiful mind.

nice one George,great selection,keep them coming.

WD, GEORGE.

all credit to  george  phs i would never have looked at the race but for reading georges write up ,it prompted me to look back and see the positives in the back form, yesterdays  handicap mark and the jockey  claim . what the forum should be about tbh.

Ferrous

Ferrous has run three times at Newcastle, winning a class 2 handicap, finishing third behind Diligent Harry in this race last year, and although he could only fifth of 14 here on AW Finals Day and behind the winner Wiltshire and the fourth Heathcliff, he had raced prominently into a headwind so can have his effort marked up.

A minor place may be his best hope given he has work to do to reverse the form with some of these, but he clearly goes well here and a three-month break is not a concern given he has a good record fresh.

Moon Over Miami

I suspect Moon Over Miami has been in better form than his form figures might suggest this season, having fared best of the prominent-racers on his reappearance in a valuable class 3 handicap at Musselburgh, and then he was sent off at just 17-2 (from an opening show of 12-1) for the Chester Cup on his next start but perhaps the course didn't suit as he reportedly hung right-handed throughout; and last time at Goodwood (6-1 into 18-5) perhaps could have done with being kept closer to the pace.

He admittedly has to prove his effectiveness on Tapeta, and the draw has not been kind, but he still makes some each-way appeal having drifted in the betting today.

Back to normality with a couple of losers...

Ferrous has a decent record fresh but on this occasion looked a little rusty, only being able to make a little late headway into 6th place.

Moon Over Miami was likely to need an Overturn-style ride to win from stall 19, but it didn't pan out well, soon being obliged to race three-wide, and his goose was cooked with over 2f to run.

2026 Running P/L: +47.52 pts

Al Shabab Storm Wd George gl ...

Thanks for the comments.

My feeble excuse for the poor effort from Moon Over Miami was a three-wide trip, but having since watched the card back I noticed that the consolation race winner Believitanducan also had 3-wide trip, so it evidently wasn't insurmountable.

Country Artiste was a selection last time when I wrote:

Country Artiste didn't progress for her previous yard after running well last summer, which included  making the frame at Newbury and Newmarket in novice / maiden races, and following a 19,000 gns sale didn't offer much in a couple of starts on the all-weather in January back from a three-month break for her new yard, so a bit to be taken on trust here back from another absence. However, it wouldn't surprise if her current handler brought her back to form at some point, and she makes her first turf start for him off a mark 13lb lower than her initial rating, with the rail draw to help.

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It takes a leap of faith to support Country Artiste as she didn't offered little encouragement at Ripon in a race won by the current favourite for this Simba's Pride, however, the run might have been needed, she got a bit upset in the stalls, wasn't helped by being shuffled back early on in the contest, and it's possible she might not have handled the track. She's been dropped a further 3lb and today's forecast quicker ground may suit better, so she's given another chance at a big price.

Mystic Rose

Mystic Rose has work to do to reverse last-time-out form at Navan (13f, good) with Jurality, with whom she has over five lengths to make up and is 4lb better off here when apprentice claims are taken into account. The pair dominated that contest for much of the way but Mystic Rose possibly did a little too much on the front-end and didn't see it out, losing second place around 100 yards out and fading to finish 5th of the 14 runners.

She will need to run her race more evenly upped in trip to 14.5f, but if she can then she may get closer to Jurality on the revised terms, with a tongue-tie applied for the first time.

One of those days, Virgin

Shaws Phoenix was unruly beforehand and had to be loaded without the jockey on board, and then when the stalls opened it appeared she was reluctant to race, losing any chance she had at the start.


I thought Mystic Rose shaped like the second best horse on the day last time at Navan behind Jurality (who was done at 1.01 this evening), so thought she was worth chancing at the odds on the revised terms in the hope she could run her race more evenly this evening given there was a stamina query upped in trip again, however, she was rushed up round the outer three-wide having not been best away, and although she then managed to get a rail position, she was once again used up to go after the leader plenty soon enough. Unsurprisingly she didn't see her race out again, getting nutted for the extra place on the line.

2026 Running P/L: +41.52 pts

Kolkata Knight made a good start to his campaign when finishing a neck runner-up at Wolverhampton (5f) to a filly who followed up in a competitive Thirsk handicap and then went close in a York Listed contest. The selection has finished down the field in two starts since but he was drawn wide at Chester (5f, good), and last time at Sandown (5f, good) he helped force the pace into a headwind before fading. Our Cody, who also sat close to the pace before finishing third in that contest, finished a close fourth in Listed company back over that C&D on her next start.

Kolkata Knight is back on the mark he was second off at Wolverhampton, and his yard have sent out winners at odds of 33-1, 22-1 and 18-1 in the past fortnight from just 11 runners.