THERE could be a surprise outcome to the feature race at Beverley if Honey Ryder (3.15) returns to anything like her best for the Violet And Eddie Smith Memorial Conditions Stakes.
Honey Ryder benefits from both her fillies' and three-year-old weight allowances, which means she's in receipt of a whopping 19lb from one of the most likely dangers, Welsh Emperor.
The selection has recently left the soon-to-retire David Loder to join Neville Callaghan's stable. Callaghan dipped a toe in the water with his new recruit by running her over seven furlongs at Epsom, an experiment that proved to be an unmitigated disaster.
With all due deference to Callaghan, only a supreme optimist would have expected Honey Ryder, well-known for her headstrong nature, to stay that sort of distance since she's clearly bereft in the stamina department.
She's much better judged on her maiden six-furlong success for Loder at Newmarket in May, a victory achieved despite the filly virtually bolting on the way to the start.
Jockey Frankie Norton has an ideal high draw to let Honey Ryder rip out of stalls in her customary fizzy fashion, and with a bit of luck she can make all to collect at a big price for her supporters in the £14,000 sprint.
Having won up at Ayr's weekend fixture, Noel Wilson wastes no time at all whipping out Zanjeer in an attempt to complete a quickfire repeat.
On the plus side Zanjeer is a previous course and distance scorer, but in the debit column he's got a 6lb penalty to carry, plus a lousy low draw in stall four to contend with.
Of course it's a matter of speculation as to whether Wilson's five-year-old will be good enough to overcome the double negative.
But as I don't believe one of his chief rivals, Efidium, really acts on the track, the door is open for Zanjeer to go in again.
Beamish Prince, who did exceptionally over hurdles last winter, switches codes to make his reappearance on the level in the Brian And Jason Merrington Memorial Handicap.
It's true to say anyone backing Beamish Prince is taking a risk as far as the gelding's fitness is concerned.
But he made giant strides during his National Hunt campaign, improvement which is not strictly reflected in his lowly Flat handicap rating.
My guess is that even if only 90 per cent straight Beamish Prince might have the legs of his opponents, especially with master tactician, Joe Fanning, likely to try and notch a pillar-to-post triumph from his advantageous high berth.
The old "horses for courses" adage applies particularly to Brighton, a curious mixture of humps and hollows that over the years has produced a welter of track specialists.
One individual beginning to make a name for herself is Cup Of Love (4.50), who despite being 14lb higher than when winning at the seaside venue in August, still gets the nod for the Weatherby's Insurance Handicap.
Rae Guest's raider followed up that effort with a decent second on a visit to Catterick, prior to nabbing a similar standard event at Folkestone last time out.
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