Dubai Celebration really interests me in the finale at Nottingham (5.30) now dropped in distance with blinkers applied for the first time and looks worth chancing at 16/1.
Jedd O’Keeffe’s gelding looked sure to win races this season after showing decent form as a juvenile, but has so far failed to trouble the judge over distances varying between 7f and a mile.
To me he has been campaigned over trips which are unsuitable, and the drop back to 6f this afternoon could well see him bounce back to form at a big price.
He showed bags of promise on his second start as a two-year-old when just under a sixth length fourth to subsequent Royal Ascot scorer Marine Commando at Carlisle in a race that has thrown up plenty of future winners, and then opened his account in good style when making all to beat Ballinargh Girl over 5f at Haydock to earn an official rating of 83.
Things have not gone right since, but he was placed off a mark of 75 when third to the Mellor fella over 7f at Doncaster back in May and now races off a mark of just 65.
That makes him potentially very well treated, and if the combination of a return to sprinting and the application of headgear work then he entitled to go very close in this line up.
The shorter trip should also enable more positive tactics to be adopted, and from a good draw in stall 17 he could take some pegging back if allowed to bowl along at the head of affairs.
If everything does click then he is certainly no 16/1 shot, and at that price he has to be worth an each-way interest.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts each-way Dubai Celebration (16/1 generally available – BOG firms)
Mount Mcleod has lots of appeal at 16’s
Mount McLeod has shown enough to suggest she is capable of landing a nursery and makes plenty of each-way appeal at 16/1 in the 2.00 at Nottingham.
Jamie Osbourne’s daughter of Holy Roman Emperor hinted that she had ability in three quick maiden runs in may and June, and ran far better than her finishing position suggest on her nursery debut last time out at Kempton on her first run for 101 days.
Slowly away that day, she made eye-catching progress two out before being unable to find any extra when switched to challenge a furlong from home to eventually finish a 4 1/2 length seventh of 12 to Littlecote Lady.
The form of that race is nothing to write home abut, but she looks sure to come on significantly for the run and if building on it has every chance of being competitive today from a lowly mark of just 51.
From a good draw in stall 17 she looks worth chancing at the odds on offer in a race which lacks any strength in depth.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts each-way Mount McLeod (16/1 bet365, Boylesports – BOG)