THE drinks will definitely be on Mark Buckley if Armagnac (4.00) can land this afternoon's Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.

Just like successful comedy, punting racehorses is all about good timing and on Northumberland Plate day I advised readers to back Buckley's Armagnac each-way and, thankfully, the gelding grabbed third spot at the rewarding odds of 16-1.

Sadly, though, I have to report we were not on him when he sluiced up at Haydock just seven days ago. Luckily, I believe we now have a gilt-edged chance to recover lost ground by once again siding with Buckley's fast-improving four-year-old, despite having to shoulder a 6lb penalty for that latest success.

The penalty is the only negative, because it's entirely possible Armagnac will be even better on today's much stiffer track, plus over an extra furlong.

The weather has also come to aid of the selection, since he loves to get his toe in the turf and it absolutely bucketed down at Newmarket yesterday.

The most valuable contest of the meeting is the Group 1 £220,000 July Cup, over six furlongs.

There's a dearth of top-class sprinters around and most of the field clashed in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Malhub was the victor on that occasion, although he's not certain to take part as it is feared he'll not be anything like so effective on soft ground.

That is not the case for the filly who chased him home, Danehurst, reckoned by Sir Mark Prescott to require soft ground to show her best.

Danehurst undoubtedly has a great opportunity to give the evergreen 55-year-old jockey George Duffield one of the biggest pay-days of his life, although it is a sad reflection of the current state of the sprint ranks to see a pretty poor line-up for such a prestigious race.

Racing on the fibresand at Southwell is very much a specialist occupation for relatively low-grade horses, and one who has taken to the surface is Noble Locks (4.45).

Kevin Ryan's consistent four-year-old won doing handsprings in the hands of Joan Flynn at the course recently, so it's heartening to see that Joan is once again doing the steering in the Ladbrokes Apprentices Handicap.

Patrick Haslam's two-year-olds are beginning to fire nicely and he appears to have a potentially smart jevenile in Doncaster-bound Devious Boy (7.45).

A son of the 1996 Derby winner Dr Devious, there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree for a first try over seven furlongs in the £11,000 Racecourse Sponsorship Conditions Stakes.

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