Per Contra To Maintain Perfect Record

By Nick Grant, PA

Per Contra looked a smart prospect first time up and should further confirm that impression in the Follow @attheraces On Twitter EBF Restricted Novice Stakes at Ffos Las.

Sent off the evens favourite on his debut at Chepstow following strong market support, the Ollie Sangster-trained Footstepsinthesand colt was slowly away and racing in rear for much of the way before challenging widest of all.

He showed he is a work in progress with the way he drifted left all the way across the track, but there was no doubting his superiority as he came home under just hands and heels from Jamie Spencer.

And despite that wayward passage he was still three and a quarter lengths too good for Loaded Quiver, who paid the winner a nice complement when winning on this third start.

Sangster mentioned the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster as a possible target in the immediate aftermath, but is clearly keen to take in another low-level opportunity on the way to the Leger meeting.

Salisbury’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Stonehenge Stakes shapes as a midweek cracker, with Arabian Crown and Arabic Legend doing battle with one or two other nice ones.

Preference is for the Andrew Balding-trained Arabic Legend, having got off the mark first time up at Newmarket when sent off at a rather generous looking 17-2.

He had been due to begin at Doncaster in June, where he was well backed for a seven-furlong novice but got upset at the start and was withdrawn.

So it was surprising he was the price he was at HQ, where he moved like the winner for much of the early journey before showing signs of inexperience when initially asked for his effort, hanging to his left.

He was really strong at the line, however, under only minimal encouragement from Rob Hornby and while the form has turned out to be nothing to write home about, this beautifully-bred son of Dubawi could be a smart one.

The other Listed race on the card at the Wiltshire track is the British EBF 40th Anniversary Upavon Fillies’ Stakes, in which Running Lion will be expected to return to winning ways.

Such a good winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Guineas meeting, connections opted to go for the Oaks only to see it all go wrong when Oisin Murphy could only look on in frustration as she was withdrawn after getting upset in the stalls.

She went to France after that for the Prix de Diane, but that also did not go to plan as she never really looked herself from a wide draw.

Le Mans should take the beating for Richard Hannon and Ryan Moore in the Unibet/Breeders Backing Racing EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Kempton.

A 470,000 guineas half-sister to the stable’s former top two-year-old Lusail, she did it nicely when getting up to win at Newmarket at the end of June, with the form boosted since by the runner-up.

At Yarmouth, keep an eye on what the market says about Saeed bin Suroor’s newcomer Arabic Art in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes.

Top tips for today’s UK meetings

TAB is betting on 5 UK meetings today. Here are the tips.

SALISBURY: Race 1: 14.45 Storymaker, Race 2: 15.15 Mister Sketch, Race 3: 15.45 Flavour Maker, Race 4: 16.20 Arabic Legend, Race 5: 16.55 Landlordtothestars, Race 6: 17.30 Running Lion, Race 7: 18.00 Cheers Babe.

BEVERLEY: Race 1: 15.00 Midnight Lir, Race 2: 15.35 Hint Of The Jungle, Race 3: 16.10 Magsood, Race 4: 16.45 TurboCommand, Race 5: 17.20 Craven, Race 6: 17.50 Havana Party, Race 7: 18.25 Mistamac.

YARMOUTH: Race 1: 15.25 Red Danielle, Race 2: 16.00 Available Angel, Race 3: 16.35 Arabic Art, Race 4: 17.10 Flower Of Thunder, Race 5: 17.42 Alpine Girl, Race 6: 18.17 Ideal Guest.

FFOS LAS: Race 1: 18.50 Eton College, Race 2: 19.20 PER CONTRA (NAP), Race 3: 19.50 Overnight Oats, Race 4: 20.20 Mma Ramotswe, Race 5: 20.50 Fifty Year Storm, Race 6: 21.20 Natacata.

KEMPTON: Race 1: 19.30 Poutchek, Race 2: 20.00 Le Mans, Race 3: 20.30 Soar Above, Race 4: 21.00 King Cabo, Race 5: 21.30 Pistoletto, Race 6: 22.00 Club Manager.

ALL TO COME: Arabic Legend (Salisbury, Race 4) and Per Contra (Ffos Las, Race 2).

For fields, race betting and more information go to www.tab4racing.com