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Joyeaux - 1 pt e/w. Available at 10/1 (General)
Dorn Dancer - 1 e/w. Available at 14/1 (General)
Rafta will probably be difficult to beat, even under her 12 pounds of penalties, but she steps into all age company for the first time and there are a couple of seasoned campaigners threatening a return to peak form in opposition. Joyeaux has taken the eye in both her most recent outings and, given they were on ground faster than ideal, it could be assumed she will go even better on today's easier surface. She is only a pound above her last winning mark and the jockey who was on board for her last two victories, returns. All of her turf wins have come over five furlongs but she has won over today's trip on two occasions on the A/W. The yard are in form and Joyeaux has a reasonable draw. Dorn Dancer ran well for a long way last time out at Ayr but she found the mile trip too far and should be seen to better effect now she reverts to six furlongs. She ran well when she last encountered cut in the ground and is now five pounds lower in the handicap and down in grade. A winner from a two pound higher mark thirteen months ago she could be seen finishing to good effect if on song.
5.00 - Ascot - William Blake - 2 pts e/w. Available at 8/1 (Ladbrokes) 2nd at 5/1 - opened at 7's ;D
A competitive handicap and one in which bottom weight William Blake makes some appeal. Not for the first time he didn't seem to quite get home over 12 furlongs last time out and connections have wisely stepped him back to ten furlongs today. Judged on his first two races of the season he looks likely to progress again in this campaign. He hasn't won since rattling up a hat-trick on the first three starts of his career but he has run plenty of good races in the meantime. The handicapper has dropped him two pounds, which seems generous, and he has proven himself on ground on both the fast and slow side of good. Second in this race from an five pound lower mark last season and both his best performances in that campaign came over this C/D.
7.40 - Newmarket - Aye Aye Digby - 3 pts win. Available at 7/2 (General) 1st 2/1 - 7/2 available earlier
Twenty races so far in his career but arguably still finding some improvement. Looked unlucky at Epsom last time out where, short of room, he had to fight against the camber in an attempt to manufacture a gap. It didn't come and, switched back to the inside, he finished well enough to suggest he would have been much closer given luck in running. That followed an honourable performance in, what in hindsight, was a hopeless task against the subsequent Group One placed Main Aim. Aye Aye Digby handles fast ground but he much prefers good ground or softer. He is still on a manageable mark and represents a Trainer with a profitable 15% strike rate at the track.
8.30 - York - Lenny Bee - 4 pts win. Available at 11/4 (Ladbrokes)
In his first season racing and hasn't really run a bad race in seven attempts, winning once. He seems equally effective on both turf and the A/W and has run on a variety of tracks. He looked slightly unlucky at Chester last time out and, given he got within a length of the winner in a better race, he should go well from the same mark this evening. He has the potential to improve further and the way he hits the ground he could find tackling this easier ground for the first time to his liking. His Sire has produced a few that like testing conditions and Lenny Bee is favoured over four time seeking Secret Venue who has been mopping up easier races than the selection has been competing in.