Mainly Handicaps

No races of great importance today, but some interesting handicaps. The best betting race is the 6 furlongs handicap at Hamilton at 18.00 CET, the final of the Scottish Sprint Series. This looks wide open but we will hope for a Scottish winner with Jinky (Linda Perrett/ Joe Fanning). He was well behind the consistent Alexandrakollontai AC Whillans/ Julie Burke) in this race last year, but is much better handicapped this time and can reverse the form at today´s weights.

The best race at Goodwood, where there are some very small fields, is the 2 miles handicap at 17.40. When Richard Fahey books Ryan Moore he means business, but his candidate Spice Fair has never run beyond 1 1/2 miles so one has to be a bit cautious, while Spice Fair (Mark Usher/ Richard Hughes) has been in great form this season but is on his highest ever rating. Mark Johnston is always to be feared in staying races here and has booked the top claimer Cam Hardie for Special Fighter, the only 3yo in the field, but he looks a bit difficult. Statutory (Saeed bin Suroor/ Andrea Atzeni) has run some good races in defeat, including last time when fourth in a big field at York,and he is the selection.

At Kempton this evening the best races are the two divisions of the 6 furlongs handicap. In the first division at 21.20, the two unexposed 3yo´s Crazy Chic (Marco Botti/ Mark Monaghan) and Goner With The Wind (Jeremy Noseda/ William Buick) are probably the most interesting runners, while half an hour later we shall take a chance on top-weight Meritocracy (Paul Cole/ Jim Crowley), who usually runs well here and is still reasonably handicapped.