TimeformBlog

Starting at Yarmouth, where [b]Blue Dune[/b] could benefit from the drop down to sprint distances as she makes her handicap debut in the Pleasurewood Hills Maiden Handicap at 14:35. The daughter of Invincible Spirit stepped up on her previous efforts when upped to an extended mile at Wolverhampton two weeks ago. Improvement is almost assured now she tackles this discipline and the drop to six furlongs should work in her favour. She makes plenty of appeal for a yard who are still in very good form. At Brighton, [b]Little Rainbow[/b] makes most appeal in the seven-furlong handicap at 14:45. The three-year-old daughter of King's Best looked much more at home at this trip when decisively landing a C&D fillies' handicap 13 days ago on good to soft ground. A 4 lb rise in the weights shouldn't...

[b]Roger Sez[/b] is a come-from-behind performer who improved for fitting of blinkers when landing a Group 3 in the mud at Ayr (6f) in September. Struggled for form since though, and looks up against it under penalty. [b]Appealing[/b]'s previous AW form looks strong, and stepped up on that when winning on turf/handicap debut at Yarmouth 2 weeks ago, driven clear. Quickly upped to listed company now, and may do better yet. [b]Charlotte Rosina[/b] was well supported when winning on return in April, and bounced back from lesser effort last month with improved, if slightly opportunistic, win at Newmarket 3 weeks ago. More needed here however. [b]Colorful Notion[/b] raced solely at Meydan thus far in 2012, not disgraced when fifth to Gamilati on reappearance but well beaten in a hood...

[b]Fortification[/b] made a good start for this yard when winning at Exeter in November before taking third in Southern National. Lifeless display at Kempton last time, but not out of this if bouncing back. [b]Knighton Combe[/b] got back to form when landing Summer National at Uttoxeter (3½m) in June. Respectable effort in first-time visor latest, and may appreciate longer trip/better ground here. [b]Honourable Arthur's[/b] career took off when switched to fences and fitted with cheekpieces, landing hat-trick at Huntingdon (3m) in February. Bounced back to form with narrow win at Wincantion latest, so respected. [b]Leading Contender[/b] was a useful jumper in his prime and ran best race for some while when third off this mark in 3¼m handicap at Newbury in December, but below ...

[b]Khor Sheed[/b] won two of her five starts as a two-year-old, namely a listed event and a sales race, both over six furlongs at Newmarket. She has gone close both outings this season and won't be inconvenienced by a return to this trip. [b]Carrignavar[/b] is a maiden winner who came up short at this level at York in her final starts last year, albeit on soft ground. She ran well third in a handicap on her reappearance but the longer trip here is an unknown. [b]Eucharist[/b] was most progressive when winning four of her seven starts as a juvenile. She ran creditably on the first of her two runs in Group 3 company this year and will appreciate this slight drop in grade. [b]Glas Burn[/b] progressed well in three juvenile starts and ran well behind a promising sort in a Leicester...

It looks the toughest card of the week so far to crack at Royal Ascot, but we've never been afraid to shirk a challenge, and we'll put up [b]Alkimos[/b] (17.00) as one of the day's best bets in the newly-upgraded Group 3 Tercentenary Stakes. Formerly known as the Hampton Court Stakes, the mile and a quarter contest has been upgraded for the third time since 2000, and Alkimos is bidding to follow in the footsteps of Afsare, who took the race twelve months ago for Luca Cumani and Kieren Fallon having scored in the same minor event beforehand at Doncaster that Alkimos took so impressively a fortnight ago. Alkimos did it very easily on Town Moor, quickening to the front and striding away from Maali who re-opposes today. He's bound to improve again and could have the beating of Tazahum and Marksmanship,...

[b]Jade[/b] has finished second on each of her three starts this season, on each occasion shaping as if she is crying out for a step up to seven furlongs, so she has sound prospects of opening her account for the year trying the trip for the first time at Carlisle this afternoon (15:15). Jade's most recent run came in a six-furlong handicap at Pontefract where the stiff nature of the track almost got her there, going down by half a length to a well-handicapped horse of Kevin Ryan's. Jade has only ever run on good and good to firm going, so today's softish conditions are something of an unknown, but there's encouragement on both sides of her pedigree and off the same mark as a Pontefract she looks the clear pick. There are bits and pieces of potential knocking about in the three-year-old...

[b]Ceilidh House[/b] was much improved for the fitting of a tongue strap when landing a 17-runner listed event over a mile and a quarter at Doncaster when last seen in November. Even is more required on her return. [b]Timepiece[/b] won twice in 2010, including a mile-and-a-quarter listed race at Newmarket in October. She was just as good when third in a Group 3 at York on her return and this test is more suitable than the one she faced at Epsom last time. [b]Bahati[/b] drew a blank in 2010, despite going close on occasions, notably when second in a seven-furlong listed race here, but the spark has been missing all three starts this year and she has her stamina to prove now upped to a mile and a quarter. [b]Conciliatory[/b] won a Kempton maiden and a York handicap last August. Her...

On first glance, the opener at Warwick may look unsolvable but it could be worth taking a chance on James Unett's Crucis Abbey, who has just his second try in a handicap and may yet have more to offer. A solid second in a maiden at Wolverhampton on his seasonal reappearance, Crucis Abbey had previously finished a close fourth in a nursery at the same track, off a mark 8 lb higher than the one he competes off today. With the booking of Jamie Spencer a further positive and the yard's last two runners having both finished runner-up, a big run is anticipated. The three-year-old maiden at Beverley (16:30) doesn't look very strong and it's one in which Mark Johnston's Taqaat should be able to get his head in front after an encouraging debut fourth to Oasis Storm at Wolverhampton in October....