According to an article in The Sun (yes, I know), ‘tourists visiting La Pelosa Beach in Sardinia will have to make do with drip-drying this summer’.
This conjures up some terrible images, but is apparently due to a blanket ban on towels as the local mayor is concerned that the beach has been losing sand at an alarming rate. I’ve had the same feeling before, but La Pelosa could well net connections a few bags of sand if he can land the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (14:25).
She has a neck to find on Albany winner Main Edition on their run at Royal Ascot, but should have learned plenty from the experience as that was just her second career start.
Indeed, there are four fillies who were beaten in the Albany who are back for more, like a queue of bitter ex-girlfriends on The Jeremy Kyle Show waiting to have another pop.
Find the winning post at paddypower.com for all your racing punts
Alpha Centauri was runner-up in the Albany herself last season, but has blossomed since, winning the Irish 1000 Guineas and then taking a monumental leap forward when storming clear in the Coronation Stakes.
She’s the highest-rated three-year-old in Europe and will be very hard to beat in the Falmouth Stakes at 15:35, however she’s priced accordingly. Instead, a more rewarding flutter could be Wissahickon in the preceding handicap (15:00).
Named after an area of Philadelphia (don’t worry, no cheesy puns here), this half-brother to Rainbow View is improving in leaps and bounds and looked a very smart colt in the making when winning at York last month – recording a fast time figure. He can take this with Group company clearly on the horizon.
The very smart hurdler Elgin scored with plenty in hand for the second time in this sphere at Catterick last month, and though the BHA handicappers haven’t lost their marbles, there’s every chance his opening mark of 98 could underestimate him at 16:45.
The second from that Catterick race has won since, as has the second from his win at Chelmsford the time before, so his form is stacking up well and he’s fancied to knuckle down to win once again.
Mount Tambora is an active volcano in Indonesia, however the similarly-titled Mount Tabora failed to really catch fire on debut at the Curragh last month, despite being very well backed. He looks to make amends in the maiden at 16:10 and is taken to prove a different proposition second time up, having looked badly in need of the experience on debut.
Kuwait Currency (Dinar), Machell Place, Art du Val are just three of a host of interesting newcomers, while Dombra, Nayef Road and Journey of Life have all shaped with promise already.
A cracking race – which has the potential to be one of the best two-year-old maidens of the season – awaits.
Head over to paddypower.com for the latest racing betting