FORGET about the tennis at Wimbledon and concentrate on Young Rosein, fancied to make it game, set, and match in the seven furlong Royal Artillery Handicap at Catterick today.
The six-year-old mare definitely "owes" us as she carried the nap selection with very little distinction at Doncaster last Saturday night. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, although no one was to know that those poor souls drawn high, which included Young Rosein, had absolutely no chance.
But the wheel of fortune has now turned full circle, handing the Geraldine Rees' trained raider a plum draw in the number stall, hard against the inside rail.
Jockey Tony Culhane, riding out of his skin at present, will be fully aware of his advantageous position, making sure his rivals have to make their respective challenges on the wide outside, while he has the benefit of being able to go the shortest way round on the inner.
You pays' your money and takes your chances in the wide-open 17-runner five furlong Dragon Troop Handicap.
Not a race to be too dogmatic about, nevertheless a selection must be made and I've a feeling Aintnecessarilyso (2.45) could oblige at a starting price of 10-1 or better.
Admittedly it takes a giant leap of faith to ignore the ominous string of duck eggs before his name, however in mitigation things haven't dropped right for Milton Bradley's sprinter of late.
The run of apparently poor form has at least had the benefit of attracting some respite from the Official Handicapper, who has dropped the gelding a whopping 16lbs since the start of the season.
Now back on his favoured fast ground, over the minimum trip, plus enjoying a good low draw and Kevin Darley aboard, all seems set fair for a surprise return to the winners' enclosure for Aintnecessarilyso in the Dragon Troop Handicap.
Mark Johnston has a decent record at the course and he could easily walk away with a four-timer courtesy of Falcon On The Hill (2.15), Mesmerist (3.15), Night Shift Blue's (4.15), and Scott's View (4.45). If a gun were put to my head, I reckon the latter, Scott's View, is the pick of the talented quartet lining up in the closing mile-and-a-half Stockton Handicap.
He made the long journey from Middleham to Windsor pay when opening account in scintillating style nine days ago. Like so many of Johnston's three-year-old this term, Scott's View appears to be an extremely progressive individual, certainly not one to take on lightly at this time of year when his generation are just beginning to get the upper hand over their elders.
One of the giants of the betting ring in more sense than one, the twenty-stone plus bookmaker Gary Wiltshire, claimed Kempton-bound Ambersong (6.30) out of the John Hills' stable last month.
Wiltshire has sent the four-year-old to the shrewd Midlands' operator, Norma Macauley, just the person to rekindle Ambersong's enthusiasm, set to prevail in the opener at the south London venue in the capable hands of one of the most able amateur pilots currently riding, Margaret Morris.
* JANUS (Colin Woods) landed a tasty 12-1 nap and next best double at Hamilton yesterday via Miss Opulence (6-4) and Diamond Orchid (4-1).
* Middleham trainer Mark Johnston's Simeon, a fine third to Sulamani and Act One in the French Derby, is likely to go abroad again in search of Group One glory.
The three-year-old colt, who had previously notched up a five-timer, was taken out of Saturday's Coral Eurobet Eclipse Stakes on Monday.
Although he still holds an entry in the Princess of Wales's Stakes at Newmarket next week, he is more likely to be sent on his travels
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