Hamilton, Plumpton and Uttoxeter

Very poor racing today in the U.K. and nothing at all in Ireland. The ground is on the firm side at the two N.H. meetings at Plumpton and Uttoxeter, with most of the leading jockeys at the latter track. Tony McCoy can take the featiure race there, a class 3 handicap chase at 17.50 CET over 2 miles 5 furlongs with the much imprivced Keepitsecret for Jonjo O´Neill. He ha won his last two races in a canter and although he hs taken a bug hike in the weights as a result can go in again at the main expense of Venetia Williams´ consistent Fantastic rts (Sam Thomas) and Borora (Richard Lee/ Charlie Poste), who won on his only previous race here. The novice case over 2 miles at 16.50 looks interesting; Chrysander (Evan Williams/ Paul Moloney) has shown generally good form this summere, winning twice, but as a result has to give a stone to the useful ex-German Cortinas (Charlie Mann/ Noel Fehily), who is making his debut over fences.

At Plumpton, the main race is a class 3 handicap hurdle over 2 miles at 16.30, in whic the consistent Mizen Raven (Alison Thorpe/ Christian Williams) seems the logical choice. Last-time-.out winner Jazz Dance (Charlie Mann/ David Crosse) is respected, but is held on earlier form by Gary Moore´s Kings Head, ridden by trainer´s son Jamie, and this firm ground specialist looks the main danger. The novice hurdle at 16.00 looks a very weak race, in which case German-bred Passato (Jo Davies/ Mark Grant) could be an interesting each-way bet. The Scottish circuit continues with flat racing at Hamilton, where the groud is still very soft. 6 runners are declared in the class 2 conditions race over 6 furlongs at 17.10, but two of them, Knot in Wood (Richard Fahey/ Paul Hanagan) and Burnwynd Boy (Linda Perratt/ Tom Eaves) ran in yesterday´s Ayr Gold Cup. If Knot in Wood, who finished fourth, turns out again, he can hardly lose this, while Burnwynd Boy finbished stone last. In their absen ce, Ponty Rossa (Tim Easterby/ Royston French) is the likely winner, thoigh he has not run since taking a listed race 15 months ago. Ffrench has another good chance on Alan Swinbank´s Merchant of Dubai in the 1 mile 5 furlongs handicap at 17.40; he won so easily at Musselburgh last Monday that a 6 lbs penalty seems unlikely to stop him scoring again.