Sassy Belle has plenty in her favour as she bids to open her account for the campaign in the Rhino.Bet Handicap at Nottingham.
Ed Walker’s filly was placed in her first four races as a juvenile last season, so she was certainly not winning out of turn when rounding off the year with a win in deep ground at Leicester.
The blinkers applied that day were dispensed with for her first couple of starts of the current campaign and while she ran well enough, the headgear returned for her most recent outing at Windsor.
After cutting out much of the running, Sassy Belle weakened late on to finish fourth, but it was not a bad effort considering she was only beaten a length and a half.
The handicapper has dropped her a pound, the blinkers are replaced by cheekpieces and she returns to a more suitable surface.
With three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy booked, everything points to a big effort.
Gentle Light catches the eye in the Daily Charged Up Offers At Rhino.Bet Fillies’ Handicap.
The three-year-old is bred to be smart as a daughter of Frankel out of Listed-winning mare Light Music and third on her Newbury introduction was a promising start.
Her subsequent two efforts in the royal silks have admittedly been a little disappointing, but she is nevertheless of interest as she steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time on her handicap debut, with both her breeding and her initial effort at Newbury suggesting soft ground suits.
Matty Too looks well placed to complete his hat-trick in Brighton’s Star Insurance Apprentice Handicap, while Yarmouth punters should put their faith in Karat Karat in the Quinnbet Fillies’ Novice Stakes.
The latter caught the eye making good late headway when fourth on her Newbury debut, finishing just over four lengths behind the winner Sweet Memories, who has since struck in Listed company.
There does nothing appear to be anything of her calibre in this field and normal improvement from first run to second will make Karat Karat incredibly hard to beat.
Momaer rates the best bet of the night on week two of this year’s Racing League at Chepstow.
Trained by Mark Loughnane, the four-year-old represents an Irish team that have had very little to shout about in the team competition so far – but that could be about to change in Monmouthshire.
Momaer showed a decent little of ability in her first three outings in novice company, placing at Chepstow and Redcar last season before making it third time lucky at Lingfield in January.
She was unable to trouble the judge on her handicap debut at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks later, but was an altogether different proposition on her return from a break at Leicester last month.
Returning to turf, the daughter of Belardo looked to relish racing over six furlongs for the first time as she dominated from the front and won as she liked.
The handicapper has slapped her with a 9lb rise, but she should nevertheless make her presence felt under Dylan Browne McMonagle if handling this easier surface.
Following an opening night treble at Yarmouth, Saffie Osborne can add to her Racing League tally aboard the Rod Millman-trained Chinese Knot.
The Kodiac filly was one of the young rider’s three winners a fortnight ago and her success was not a huge surprise following some decent efforts in defeat.
Chinese Knot was particularly strong at the line over five furlongs in Norfolk, suggesting a step up to six can help her defy a 5lb hike.
Top tips for today’s UK meetings
TAB is betting on 6 UK meetings today. Here are the tips.
NOTTINGHAM: 2.10 Grey Cuban, 2.40 SASSY BELLE (NAP), 3.10 Shadow Of War, 3.40 Gentle Light, 4.10 Zaakara, 4.45 Time To Rumble.
BRIGHTON: 2.25 Matty Too, 3.00 Loaded Quiver, 3.30 Global Style, 4.00 Al Azhar, 4.30 No Turning Back, 5.00 Local Bay.
YARMOUTH: 2.50 Ideal Guest, 3.20 Karat Karat, 3.50 Handel, 4.20 Churchill Rose, 4.55 Bryce, 5.25 Abravaggio.
SALISBURY: 4.50 Girl Inthe Picture, 5.20 Boyfriend, 5.53 Dragon Leader, 6.23 Assema, 6.53 Raqiya, 7.23 Joy Choi, 7.53 Maremma, 8.23 Rogue Tornado.
CHEPSTOW: 5.30 Macs Dilemma, 6.00 Chinese Knot, 6.30 Momaer, 7.00 Totnes, 7.30 Muzaffar, 8.00 Betweenthesticks, 8.30 Atrium.
SANDOWN: 5.45 Alazwar, 6.15 Batal Zabeel, 6.45 State Of Desire, 7.15 Mlle Chanel, 7.45 Riot, 8.15 Southwold.
ALL TO COME: Sassy Belle (Nottingham Race 2) and Karat Karat (Yamouth Race 2).
For fields, race betting and more information go to www.tab4racing.com