THERE isn't another trainer in the land who can match the 30 per cent strike rate currently boasted by Newmarket-based genius Sir Mark Prescott.
Year after year Prescott comes up with the goods for his owners and Pontefract raider Zingari (4.35) is no exception.
Having started life in relatively unspectacular fashion by finishing sixth in a run-of-the-mill maiden contest at Warwick, Zingari has suddenly shot to prominence, recording back-to-back wins at Brighton and Yarmouth.
Sir Mark's filly now tries for the hat-trick in the Porters Lodge Nursery, and despite having to shoulder top-weight she really does look the class act in the six-runner line-up.
Favourite-backers seeking to get the meeting off to a winning start will go piling in on the Barry Hills-trained Yafoul, a very promising runner-up on her debut at Kempton this month.
I can, however, pass on one note of caution to Yafoul's supporters regarding Mark Johnston's newcomer My Daisychain (2.20), not unfancied to make a successful debut having shown a good deal of ability on the home gallops.
Goodwood kicks off with a two-mile Handicap supposedly confined to National Hunt jockeys - so how come top Flat pilot Jamie Spencer gets the leg-up on Seattle Prince (2.00)?
It is true that Spencer holds a jump jockeys' licence, but he only ever uses it to ride in National Hunt Flat races!
Loopholes in the system are there to be exploited and Seattle Prince's trainer Richard Hannon has shrewdly snapped up Spencer's invaluable services for his charge.
You might have thought Martin Pipe wouldn't bother travelling his horses all the way from Somerset to Perth when there are far easier pickings to be had much closer to home.
But Pipe's thirst for winners is virtually unquenchable and with his mercurial stable jockey, Tony McCoy, they form the most formidable partnership ever seen over jumps.
The Pipe/McCoy bandwagon shows no signs of stopping and provided Kymberlya (2.10) and Ela d'Argent (2.40) stay on their feet, the first two races at the Scottish track could prove to be a formality.
Not so long ago the former Grand National-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies was talking about packing in the game, although happily he appears to have had a change of heart, for the time being at least.
Twiston-Davies must have been despairing at what had gone wrong with Percy Parkeeper (3.50) after the eleven-year-old twice failed to complete in the spring.
Apparently all the selection needed was a summer at grass because he bounced back in scintillating fashion to score at Stratford 19 days ago.
If in that kind of mood again, Percy Parkeeper looks good for a follow-up victory in the Isle Of Skye Scot Whiskey Handicap Chase.
Get more racing online at www.racing-north.co.uk.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article