Horse Racing tips: Paul Jacobs' value plays on Sunday

Horse Racing Tips

3.00 Goodwood – Devasboy
3.25 Beverley – J R Cavagin
4.25 Naas – Banana Three
5.20 Goodwood – Nonsuch Lad

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

3.00 Goodwood – Devasboy

Rated as high as 81 this time last year, the Ian Williams-trained runner Devasboy has been far from disgraced in some fair Class 4 events in the past couple of months when on each occasion he has compromised his chance with very slow starts before finishing off his races nicely. So the key to him here could be this drop to selling grade (although several of his rivals are also dropping in class for this valuable seller) and of course the step up in distance.

Being by Ectot out of a Verglas mare there is every chance the extra quarter of a mile will suit even though the dam only raced up to a mile in her time on track in France. On the pure ratings, Torre Del Oro has plenty in hand both of the selection and the rest of the field, but that mark is based on a small field success at Wolverhampton when the race fell into his lap and he was almost certainly flattered by that near five length success.

3.25 Beverley – J R Cavagin

This is quite competitive for the level of a 46-60 rated sprint with several of these winning in their turn and no more. I actually put Gustav Graves into my notebook following an eye-catching run at Hamilton four outings back on softish ground when he twice had to change course. His recent run over course and distance was also right up to this level, but a soft pace last time out was no good to him back at Hamilton and this likely end to end gallop should be more up his street.

However, at the weights, J R Cavagin could prove just too strong. A winner of three of his 15 starts on turf, the last of which was off 67 at Doncaster in a class five event, the five-year-old has endured several rough passages since with no pace on in three of those runs not suiting him. Back to the minimum trip and with several pace horses here I will be surprised if he doesn’t step back up again and go very close.

WELCOME TO PP NEWS: NEW TO US? CLICK HERE FOR OUR £/€20 SIGN-UP OFFER

4.25 Naas – Banana Three

Oriole was a huge disappointment for Ralph Beckett, but his first run for Patrick Donoghue promised a lot more when he was twice hampered inside the final two and a half furlongs at Galway.

The handicapper has kept him on the same mark of 76 and he is respected along with the consistent Arch Enemy. I wouldn’t put you off either of those entries, but the Ger Lyons-trained runner Banana Three looks an interesting if a bit of a left of field alternative. I say that because his breeding suggests he will potentially struggle to get this trip being by Dandy Man out of an Equiano mare, but his style of racing suggests otherwise.

On his last two starts over 7f and a mile he has stayed on in eye catching fashion, particularly last time out at Dundalk and this extra quarter mile will either see him blow out totally or relish it. On his side is the fact that he settles nicely through his races and he has the very able Cian Horgan in the saddle. If he can be hidden in mid division through the race then his finishing burst could well be good enough to see off the majority of this moderate entry.

5.20 Goodwood – Nonsuch Lad

This 0-70 finale looks pretty moderate even for this grade and several of the eight runner field have plenty of questions to answer based on their current form and beyond.

Eton Blue’s last win came off a mark of 68 and he has been placed off 64, 64 and 66 on his last three starts. He could once again hit the three, but surely remains vulnerable for win purposes. Voltaic was third in this last year and arrives here in fair form and off a significantly lower mark, while Eton Blue and Luna Magic were behind him that day in fifth and sixth spots respectively, so you could make a case for all three, but if Serena Brotherton can get him to settle, Nonsuch Lad could trump them all.

He ran a cracking third of seven in a class four at Epsom two outings back and simply ran below form last time out at Sandown Park, a run worth forgiving. If you do then on the balance of form he has solid claims and a repeat of his previous third to Silastar (also at Sandown) may well be good enough to land this with one of the better amateur riders around on board.