5 meetings today

There are 5 meetings today, but all at a very low level. At Ffos Las, the main event is a mile handicap at 17.00 CET with 8 runners, 3 of them 3yo´s. We expect this age group to come out on top, with Mark Johnston ´s only runner here Secretive (Joe Fanning ) taken to beat Innocuous (David Simcock/ Martin Lane), a close 4th at Sandown last time. Best of the older horses could be Huzzah (Barry Hills/ Robert Winston).

Derk Haysn Jones saddles 2 runmers in the 6 furlongs handivap half an hour later, both of them lst tim out winners. We have a slight preference for German-bred Gwilym (Cathy Gannon) over Westwood (Dane O´Neill) but there is probably very little in it.

Another top trainer with only one runner is Saeed bin Suroor, who sends Godolphin´ s Barq (Frankie Dettori) to contest the 7 furlong maiden at 17.45. However the well-bred Esaar (Barry and Richard Hills) looks a big danger. One we like here is Chris Wall´s Baby Rock (George Baker) in the 6 furlongs handicap at 15.45. This is a very poor race, and although he is still a maiden, Baby Rock has shown odd flashes of enough ability to score now. Albacocca (Sir Mark Prescott/ Seb Sanders) looks a typical handicap debutant from this shrewd stable; after running three times down the field as a 2yo, he now reappears over a much longer distance in the 3yo handicap at 16.15. He is quite likely thrown in off a handicap rating of only 50.

Prescott and Sanders could also be on the mark at Kempton´s evening meeting: Tuscan Gold, who runs in the 2 mile handicap for 3yo´s at 21.20 has a similar profile. After running 3 times unplaced last year, he made his 2010 debut over 10 furlongs at Haydock, was a good runner-up, and is now stepped up in distance. The best race here is the 6 furlongs handicap for 3yo´ s at 20.50. Ryan Moore is an interesting booking for Andrew Balding´s bottomweight Swan Wings, well beaten over 5 furlongs at Ascot last time; the same day Bohemian Melody (Marco Botti/ William Buick) ran 4th in a competitive handicap over 7 furlongs. Over this distance, both could run better, but the one they have to beat is probably Qudwah (Michael Jarvis/ Tagdh O´Shea), a very easy Doncaster winner last time and now making his handicap debut.

There are also 2 jumping fixtures this evening - at Bangor and in Ireland at Ballinrobe. At the Irish track, Gordon Elliott continue his winning run; Esporao (Paul Carberry) in the 4yo maiden hurdle at 19.00, Definite All Star (Keith Donoghue) in the maiden for older horses half an hour later, and Templar Knight (Carberry) in the handicap hurdle at 20.00 all have winning chances. Best bet at Bangor is the German-bred Walamo (Tim Vaughan/ Richard Johnson) in the novice chase at 20.10. He was a very easy winner at Market Rasen last time and can follow up in similar company this evening.