Goodwood – 15.00
Sun Maiden is a very lightly raced half-sister to Midday by Frankel, who is bred to be very useful indeed. She disappointed on debut over an inadequate trip, before hacking up on her second start at Salisbury when people were touting her as an Oaks filly.
Michael Stoute isn’t one to rush his horses, he decided to give her more time and skipped to Oaks before she ran a fine third in the Ribblesdale behind Magic Wand and Wild Illusion in what looks a decent renewal.
Throw in that Stoute has won this race three times in the past four years and that Ryan Moore is booked ride, so her chances appear obvious enough.
Head over to paddypower.com for the latest odds from Goodwood
Goodwood – 15.40
The Stewards Cup is always a really competitive handicap, but this year’s renewal doesn’t quite strike me as vintage. That said, it won’t be easy to win and I am going with one at a massive price to cause a huge shock.
Quench Dolly is a horse that doesn’t have the most consistent profile but she is two from two at Goodwood and her trainer, John Gallagher, has done a tremendous job to get her into this race off a mark of 94.
She was a very impressive winner here over 5f last season off a mark of 93 and has been struggling off higher marks this season before winning impressively at Windsor last time off a mark of 88.
She carries a penalty here, but is only a pound higher than that impressive course win last season and with the excellent Gabriele Malune claiming a valuable five pounds off her, a big run looks on the cards at a very rewarding price.
Thirsk – 16.00
Jeremiah returns to handicap company off a mark of 80 after being out of his depth at Group 2 level behind Kew Gardens at Royal Ascot. Charlie Fellowes won this race in 2014 with a similarly lightly raced horse in Epsom Hill and Jeremiah makes plenty of appeal on his pre-Ascot form.
He was third beaten just over four lengths behind Austrian School at Chelmsford, with Austrian School now 13lbs higher and the seconnd Yabass now 5lbs higher. Jeremiah remains on the same mark and the booking of Daniel Tudhope catches the eye.
He definitely has scope to rate a fair bit higher than an 80 horse and should give us a good run for our money here.
Galway – 16.45
An extremely competitive handicap hurdle where Uradel attempts to land a Galway double and Shanning, the chosen mount of Ruby Walsh, could be very well treated here for her handicap debut.
That said, the booking of Davy Russell for Minella Awards really catches the eye and I will put him forward as my each-way selection in a race in which Paddy Power are paying five places.
Minella Awards is trained by Harry Fry, who is extremely shrewd and rarely sends runners to Ireland just to have a social runner. Minella Awards had some really decent hurdles form as a novice, including winning at the Punchestown festival off a mark of 134 in a really strong race, as well as winning the traditionally strong EBF Final at Sandown.
He only raced twice last season, but his seventh at Punchestown in April, only beaten five lengths, was a super effort and his guaranteed stamina should be of huge benefit to him on the stiff uphill finish here.
Find the latest odds over at paddypower.com