Sport

William Haggas's Eastern Charm still looks ahead of the handicapper

William Haggas, whose horse Eastern Charm should be able to make it back-to-back wins at Yarmouth in the Quinnbet Handicap on Thursday
William Haggas, whose horse Eastern Charm should be able to make it back-to-back wins at Yarmouth in the Quinnbet Handicap on Thursday William Haggas, whose horse Eastern Charm should be able to make it back-to-back wins at Yarmouth in the Quinnbet Handicap on Thursday

EASTERN Charm should be able to make it back-to-back wins at Yarmouth in the Quinnbet Handicap for William Haggas on Thursday.

The Kodiac filly had three pretty uninspiring runs at two last year, earning herself a handicap mark of just 57.

To be fair it would have been hard for the handicapper to have given her any more, but it meant that she started this year with every chance of being able to be competitive.

She was just that back in April, providing a first winner in the UK for South African jockey Greg Cheyne in the process.

Eastern Charm only went up 3lb for winning by a length and a quarter in a 0-60 and she moves into 0-65 company for this, but she could prove well ahead of her mark.

Seven Questions looks the one in the Charles Lumsden Ati Tanks Memorial Restricted Novice Stakes.

Another by Kodiac, not much went right on his debut up at Redcar behind Royal Ascot-bound Hala Emaraaty.

He did not want to go in the stalls but once in, he was then slow to leave them.

That meant he was already on the back foot but he made eyecatching headway before losing a shoe and finishing fourth.

George Scott does well with his team of juveniles and the youngster is likely to know a good bit more about the game now.

Archie Watson and Hambleton Racing have done very well with their purchases from France in recent years and Nikovo could be another good recruit as he debuts for the team in the Quinnbet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap.

He arrives from none other than Andre Fabre, so you can hardly say there will be lots of improvement to come, but Watson places his horses almost better than anyone.

From a pure Juddmonte family, the Kingman gelding has one win to his name and begins life off a mark of 86.

The Keith Dalgleish-trained Edward Cornelius shaped like he was not far away from winning last time out and gets the chance to prove it in the Sodexo Live At Hamilton Park Clyde Handicap at Hamilton.

Only four, he has not won that often, just two from 17, but he has been placed in some competitive races.

He meets some out of form rivals on the whole, and some who may have bigger targets later in the summer, so his canny trainer may see this as a great opportunity to bag a decent prize.

There are some very well bred fillies in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Fillies' Novice Stakes at Chelmsford, but perhaps the most interesting is Ralph Beckett's Cherry.

She faces some previous winners, but is in receipt of weight from them and this Dubawi filly looked a surefire future winner on sole run at two.

In finishing third of 11 at Haydock over a mile, she looked the stereotypical middle-distance filly with which Beckett does so well.

An extra two furlongs and a winter on her back are bound to have brought her on, but she will have to be on her game to win what looks a very hot contest.

Fergal O'Brien is maintaining an excellent strike-rate through the summer and Ajp Kingdom can add to it in the At The Races App Expert Tips Novices' Hurdle at Uttoxeter.

Already a dual winner, he has been well placed to defy a double penalty.

THURSDAY SELECTIONS

CHELMSFORD: 5.20 Scarlet Rosie, 5.50 Coastal Sunrise, 6.20 Cherry, 6.50 Inverinate, 7.20 Clarko's Back, 7.50 Das Kapital, 8.20 Groundbreaker, 8.50 Bell Song.

FFOS LAS: 1.50 Presentandcounting, 2.20 Absolute Ruler, 2.50 Abaya Du Mathan, 3.25 Astigar, 4.00 Gavin, 4.35 Easkey Lad, 5.05 Twilight Prince.

HAMILTON: 2.00 Swordplay, 2.30 Crow's Nest, 3.00 Ravenglass, 3.35 Edward Cornelius, 4.10 Thermoscope, 4.45 Yaaser, 5.15 Prince Achille.

LEOPARDSTOWN: 5.30 Opera Singer, 6.00 Jaafel, 6.30 Kerkiyra, 7.00 Coeur D'or, 7.30 New Variant, 8.00 Theophilos, 8.30 Angel's Feather.

UTTOXETER: 2.10 Ajp Kingdom, 2.40 Pens Man, 3.10 Noonie, 3.45 Presenting Belle, 4.20 The Plimsoll Line, 4.55 Drop Him In, 5.25 Uggy Uggy Uggy.

YARMOUTH: 5.40 EASTERN CHARM (NAP), 6.10 Seven Questions, 6.40 Society Lion, 7.10 Nikovo, 7.40 Denis Anthony, 8.10 Habanero Star, 8.40 Matty Too.

DOUBLE: Eastern Charm and Seven Questions.