The dangerously well-treated Triple Eight shaped as if coming back to form last time out and at 5/1 looks to hold outstanding claims in the 5.00 at Musselburgh.
The gelding was a useful juvenile when trained in Ireland by Dermot weld, beating The Reaper to land a maiden at Gowran before finishing a 4 length last of four to Zoffany (who chased home Frankel in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes) in a Group 3 contest at the Curragh.
He also finished runner-up to the classy Seville at Tipperary when officially rated 98 and on his first start as a three-year-old was far from disgraced when finishing fourth of 6 to Sing Softly in a Listed contest at the Curragh.
Things then went wrong for the son of Royal Applause, and after a couple poor efforts he joined Philip Kirby last September.
He ran a solid race on his first start for his new handler when chasing home You’ve Been Mowed in a claimer at Hamilton off an official rating of 92, after which his efforts were a bit of a mixed bag for the rest of the year.
However he shaped really well five starts back when staying on well in the mud to finish third of 13 to Le Chat D’or at Newcastle off 68, and followed that up with a similar effort at Redcar when fifth of 13 to Izzet where he didn’t help his cause by hanging left a furlong from home.
He then disappointed in his next two starts, but put in by far his best effort for a long time at Carlisle four days ago when staying on well under today’s rider Eva Moscrop to finish a 1 1/4 length third to Lady Chapparal on soft ground.
The four-year-old now gets into this off the same mark of just 61, and given that he won his maiden on quick ground and has those conditions this afternoon he is simply too well treated to ignore.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 3pts win Triple Eight (5/1 bet365 – BOG)
