AIDAN O’Brien appears to have his usual wealth of possible Classic contenders again this season and Age Of Aquarius is ready to stake his Epsom claim at Lingfield today.
The Ballydoyle team bagged the totesport.com Derby Trial with Alessandro Volta in 2008 and this Galileo colt can complete back-to-back victories.
An eye-catching winner of his maiden at Dundalk, O’Brien thought him good enough to tackle Group One company in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud at the end of last year and he was not disgraced in finishing a close fourth. He should relish this step up in trip and as long as he handles the track, he sets the standard.
The totesportcasino.com Oaks Trial, a race in which subsequent Epsom victor Look Here finished second last year, can go the way of Sir Michael Stoute’s July Jasmine.
Stoute has plenty of good fillies this year but with Phillipina unlikely to go for the Oaks and leading fancy Leocorno suffering a setback, July Jasmine may take a lofty position in the betting after this.
A comfortable winner against a solid yardstick in Mezenah on her only start, she is unexposed and could be ready to make giant strides.
John Jenkins’ Spitfire can give each-way supporters a decent run for their money in the totesport Victoria Cup at Ascot.
A speedy juvenile, he has found seven furlongs a shade too far in the past but on his seasonal reappearance over that trip at Kempton, he was noted finishing late and fast behind Something.
While others may be better handicapped, Spitfire offers a value bet coming from an unfashionable stable.
Haydock stages a mixed card where the highlight is the Toteswinger Swinton Hurdle.
It usually pays to stick with a young hurdler on the up but this year’s renewal looks decidedly weak.
Richard Fahey’s Joe Jo Star is unlikely to be anything better than a handicapper over hurdles but he likes quick ground and could have been laid out for this.
If David Nicholls’ Garnica is fully wound-up for his seasonal debut, he can prove the class act in the Totescoop6 Spring Trophy Stakes.
Mark Tompkins’ Four Miracles failed to cut any ice on her reappearance at Ripon, but with that run behind her, she looks a good proposition in the Bet On Totescoop6 At Totesport.com Handicap at Nottingham.
Aleatricis ran well on his debut for John Quinn at Beverley last time and can go one better in the GT Group Handicap at Thirsk.
At Hexham, Jedd O’Keeffe’s Moonwalking can follow up his Wetherby win in the Hexhamshire Novices’ Hurdle.
Fahey can score another winner tomorrow as Painted Sky looks a likely winner of the Betdaq On 0870 178 1221 Handicap Hurdle at Southwell.
The six-year-old trod a familiar path this year, failing to fire on his first outing after a break before scoring well last time, much as he had the year before.
Still slightly too keen when winning at Sedgefield, he finished the race with real zest and although 11lb higher this time, he could still have enough improvement in him.
Alan Swinbank seems to provide an endless stream of good bumper horses and his Roses can complete a hattrick in the Carlsberg Intermediate National Hunt Flat Race.
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