Nottinghamshire Oaks

Easily the best of today´s 6 cards is at Nottingham, where the listed Nottinghamshire Oaks at 17.20 CET is the main feature. The race is for fillies and mares, but any resemblance with Friday´s classic race at Epsom ends there, as this event is for older horses over 10 furlongs. Almost all the 13 runners are in fact 4yo´s and none of them is probably up to winning a group race, with the possible exception of Godolphin´s extremely consistent Dream Child (Charlie Appleby/ William Buick). She is best known as an all-weather performer and all her 5 wins so far have come at Wolverhampton, but she showed last time at Goodwood that she is equally effective on turf when she was beaten a neck in a similar race by Miss Marjurie, who won a Group Three last week at Haydock. Tioga Pass, 5th, Momentus, 8th, and Mutatis Mutandis, 10th, all finished behind her at Goodwood and we see no reason why the form should not stand up. 2 possible opponents are Pleasant View (Luca Cumani/ Adam Kirby), an easy winner of a lesser race at Pontefract last time, and Solar Magic (John Gosden/ Frankie Dettori), runner-up in decent company on both her 2015 starts and now up in trip.

Some fair handicappers line up here over a mile at 16.50, and the interesting one here could be top-weight Market Share (David O´Meara/ David Nolan) who was trained in France last year by Pascal Bary and ran mainly in black type events. Big Baz (Willie Muir/ Martin Dwyer), third in the Newbury Spring Cup, and Spa´s Dancer (James Eustace/ Kirby), third in that race last year, are just two of the possible opponents in a very open race.

Equally open is the mile handicap for 3yo fillies half an hour earlier, in which some very well-bred and unexposed types are entered.Beautiful Ending (Saeed bin Suroor/ James Doyle) is a half-sister to Group One winner Sky Hunter, while Godolphin´ s other runner Elle Shade (Gosden/ Nicky Mackay) is out of German Group One winner Elle Danzig and Roxy Dancer (William Haggas/ Pat Cosgrave) is the grand-daughter of an Oaks winner. This race is too tricky to call but should certainly be watched; however the Haggas/ Cosgrave combination is in great form at present and all their runners today must be respected.

note: Beautiful Ending non-runner at 16.20

Nottingham - betting forecast:
1. Race: Cinders - Love On The Rocks - Modest
2. Race: Point North - Borough Boy - Gold Club
3. Race: Deep Blue Sea - Roxy Star - Zoella
4. Race: Big Baz - Market Share - Spa`S Dancer
5. Race: Pleasant Valley - Dream Child - My Spirit
6. Race: Atalan - Galileano - The Cashel Man
7. Race: Calrissian - Mysterial - Roxy Lane

4 poor meetings today

Tuesday is often the weakest day of the week, and it certainly is today with just 4 very low-level meetings in the U.K. and nothing at all in Ireland. The only jumping comes from Southwell this evening, while there is flat racing at Brighton and Ripon this afternoon and on the all-weather at Wolverhampton this evening.

Easily the best race of the day is the mile handicap at Ripon at 16.55 CET and Birdman (David O´Meara/ Sam James), bidding to win his 4th race in succession, is the likely favourite. He was a smart performer for David Simcock in younger days, but lost his form completely last year so that he started out this year for his trainer on a very low rating. He has been put up 21 lbs for his 3 successes and faces tougher opposition now, and while he could easily win again - he is still below his top rating of 2013- he is no good thing here. Top-weight Off Art (Tim Easterby/ David Allan) is an obvious danger, dropping in grade here, but we like the each-way chances of oldtimer Dubai Dynamo (Ruth Carr/ Peter McDonald). The 10yo has run 133 times and keeps his form remarkably well, with 15 wins and 29 places to his credit, many of them over this CD. He won this race in 2011 and has run respectably in it every year since, and we hope that will be the case again today.

Ripon - betting forecast:
1. Race: Fashionable Spirit - Zeeda - Bossipop
2. Race: Mythical City - Secret Lightning - Taraz
3. Race: Hydrant - Ventura Quest - Memory Cloth
4. Race: Birdman - Off Art - Instant Attraction
5. Race: Kyllach Me - Alaskan Wing - Final Venture
6. Race: Synodic - Alnashama - Talyani
7. Race: Jacobs Son - Valantino Oyster - In Vino Veritas

Group race in Ireland

The best racing at today´s 6 meetings comes from Ireland and specifically from Naas which has a strong card, featuring a group race and three listed events, all over short distances. The Group trasce is the Lasckemn Stakes for 3yo´s pover 6 furlongs at 17.45 CET and we could be seeing some Royal Ascot runners here. Toscanini (Mike Halford/ James Doyle) had good 2yo form last year and started off this season with a win, and holds the useful Beach Bunny (Kevin Prendergast/ Andrea Atzeni) on that form, but the dangers could be The Happy Prince (Aidan and James O´Brien) and especially Anthem Alexander (Eddie Lynam/ Pat Smullen), a Royal Ascot winner last year who has not been seen out since finishing runner-up in the Cheveley Park, which is clearly the best form in the race. The 7 furlongs race at 15.40 has a large field looking for black type, with top trainers like O´Brien, Weld, Bolger and Lyons all represented, but Eastern Rules (Halford/ Shane Foley) has the best form, while Military Angel (Michael O´callaghan/ Fran Berry) looks a likely outsider here. The otjer listed races are over 6 furlongs fior 2yo´s - for Colts at 16.40 and for fillies at 17.15. In the former event the smart Birchwood (Richard Fahey/ James Doyle) and Argentero (Lyons/ Colin Keane), two of the best juveniles seen out so far, are faced by the well-bred debutant Air Vice Marshal (Aidan and Joseph O´Brien). Birdcage (Lyons/ Atzeni) has good prospects in the fillies´ race with Rue Bonaparate (Prendergast/ Colin Hayes), a CD winner last tome, the main danger.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Mulkeyya - Catalyst - Ortiga
2. Race: Father Frost - Eastern Rules - Heaven`s Guest
3. Race: Trinity Force - Strait Of Zanzibar - Abushamah
4. Race: Birchwood - Argentero - Air Vice Marshal
5. Race: Promised Money - Birdcage - Rue Bonaparte
6. Race: Toscanini - The Happy Prince - Anthem Alexander
7. Race: Sacrificial - Indian Tomahawk - Ohh Lala