5 meetings today

One of our favourite horses is running today - 11yo Beckermet (Ruth Carr/ Lee McNiff) who goes for the apprentice handicap at Redcar at 18.30 CET. The old boy has run 138 times and has 13 wins and 47 wins to his credit. Obviously he is not as good as he used to be in his younger days, but he has been running well and we hope that he has another good race in him off his current rating.

His trainer has another interesting runner here in Marine Commander (James Sullivan) in the 6 furlongs handicap at 16.30; he is on a long losing run but has come down a lot in the weights and we can see him running well at a big price here. The main event here is the straight mile handicap at 17.00 which is wide open. Kiwi Bay (Michael Dods/ Tom Eaves) is a CD specialist and should go well, but we shall take a chance on top-weight Toto Skyllachy (David O´Meara/ Danny Tudhope), from a team in great form and who won this last year.

Ruth Carr also has some runners at Beverley and can go close with Head Space (Dale Swift) and Dubai Dynamo (Peter McDonald who have the top weight in the handicaps at 18.40 and 19.10; however Bondi Beach Boy (James Turner/ Macdonald) looks the one to beat in the former race; he is one of the most improved horses in training and has won 7 races this year, 4 of them over this CD.

Talking horse Freemason (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore) makes his debut in the 2yo maiden at 15.20 at Leicester. He may well turn out to be very smart, but for now we would rather go with the proven public form of Raise Your Gaze (Clive Cox/ Adam Kirby), runner-up in a decent maiden at Newbury last time. Mark Johnston continues in top form and can land a double here with Talented Kid at 15.50 and Discay an hour later, both partnered by Franny Norton.

They go over jumps today at Worcester in the U.K. and Galway in Ireland. Our fancies at the former track are The Cockney Mackem (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies( in the novice chase at 16.40, and smart chaser No Loose Change (Paul Nicholls/ Harry Derham) in the novice hurdle an hour later. Last Shadow (Jonjo O´Neill/ AP McCoy) could be a blot on the handicap at 16.10, while German-bred Sadler´s Star (Michael Blake/ Kieron Edgar) looks a good each-way bet at 15.40.

In Ireland, Ruby Walsh can win the first 3 races on ex-French Vicky de l´Oasis at 17.25 and Indevan an hour later for Willie Mullins, and Ross Voss for his father Ted at 17.55. The best horse running here is Rebel Fitz (Mick Winters/ Barry Geraghty), who should not be troubled to win the novice chase at 19.25.