6 meetings today

There is plenty of racing today, but some small fields, especially at the evening Irish meeting at Leopardstown. Aidan and Joseph O´Brien should have their usual winner with Perhaps, in the 2yo fillies maiden at 19.45 CET; the half-sister to this season´s leading 3yo Battle of Marengo made a pleasing debut and looks a good thing this evening. However we don not fancy the O´Brien runner in other 2yo race at 1915, and expect this to go to Intensified (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning), runner-up on all 3 starts so far but never beaten by much.

There are some quite competitive handicaps at Haydock this afternoon, and Ruth Carr can land both divisions of the 6 furlongs event at 16.50 with Mutaaakir (Peter McDonald) at 16.50 and Head Space (James Sullivan) half an hour later. The best race is the 1 3/4 miles handicap for 3yo´s at 17.50. Debdebdeb (Andrew Balding/ Martin Dwyer) was awarded the race in the stewards room at Newbury last time, but is up 6 lbs and this looks tougher. Lion Beacon (Amanda Perrett/ Pat Dobbs) is clearly well suited by this trip on fast ground and has won his last 2 races in good style, but we just prefer Argent Knight (Willie Jarvis/ Tom Eaves), who now meets him on better terms. Eaves can go on to land a double on Bryan Smart´s Dubai Hills at 18.50.

Perth´s Scottish N.H. meeting continues this afternoon. Gordon Elliott won 3 races here yesterday and has more good chances, notably Crookstown at 16.00 and Definite Row at 18.30, both partnered by Tony McCoy. The N. Irish brothers Stuart and Steven Crawford also do well on their raids on the British mainland and should also have some runners in the money.