AFTER a fabulously successful weekend Richard Hughes looks certain to be in the money once again this afternoon partnering a stack of fancied rides at Brighton.
The tall Irishman, who won yet more admirers with a sparkling treble in the Shergar Cup at Ascot on Saturday, might easily start proceedings off with a winner in the opening EBF Maiden Stakes aboard Amanda Perrett's Amount (2.15).
Perrett's two-year-old debutants are normally pretty fit and the immaculately-bred Amount is sure to know her job despite never having seen a racecourse before.
In the next on the card, the Don Miller Bakery Selling Handicap, Hughes teams up with Glory Days for his in form guv'ner, Richard Hannon.
Glory Days (2.45) has been given a short break since flunking at Kempton in mid-July, but if he reproduces his previous effort when runner-up in a decent claimer at Folkestone, then the four-year-old has every chance of making amends.
And Richard's tremendous prospects don't end there either because he has what will be many punters' idea of a banker bet in George Eden Memorial Handicap via Soltaat (3.15).
Soltaat steps up to one mile having been beaten by a gnat's whisker at the course over seven furlongs 28 days ago. It was a heart-breaking defeat for connections since the selection was ahead a single stride past the post.
But as we all eventually find out to our cost, it's right on the jam stick where it really matters and on that unfortunate occasion Soltaat's head wasn't down quite far enough to pip Compton Arrow.
If Hughes does happen to have ridden the first three winners, Yankee bet players will as sure as eggs are eggs be getting very excited about his fourth mount of the day, Another Secret (3.45), in the Weatherbys Bank Handicap.
Although Another Secret has yet to prove she actually stays a mile-and-a-quarter, her latest outing when piling on the pressure at the end of a nine furlong contest at Goodwood suggested the new distance would not be a problem.
I am also taken by the fillies' high level of consistency, plus the fact she's by Efisio, whose offspring are often partial to a little cut in the ground.
Best bet at Newton Abbot is Royal Snoopy (4.30), fancied to make a winning return to the smaller obstacles in the Scuttle Handicap Hurdle after a spell over fences.
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