AL MOTASIM and Harry Davies are the combination to follow in the William Hill Pick Your Places Handicap (7.00) at Goodwood this evening.
Hugo Palmer’s son of Lope De Vega followed a third at Newcastle in August with a sixth at Kempton Park and a 10th at Doncaster during the following two months to earn a British Horseracing Authority rating of 69.
Punters made Al Motasim, gelded during the winter, the 7-2 favourite for a winning debut in the sphere at Haydock Park last month, and my selection came home with purpose under Oisín Murphy to finish a three-quarter-length second to Bird Of Play.
The booking of rising star Davies is a big plus for Al Motasim, who competes from the same mark here and, with further improvement to come on the fourth outing of his life, and a first career win is on the cards.
At Haydock Park, three-time champion jockey Murphy re-unites with SILENT FLAME , who stands out in the GPW Recruitment 50th Anniversary Fillies’ Handicap (7.20).
The pair have combined for three of the Rod Millman-saddled mare’s five successes, most recently when beating Faustus by three-quarters of a length at Windsor on her penultimate outing.
A second, beaten the same distance, to As If By Chance on Thamesside 11 days was a sound effort, particularly as Al Kazeem’s daughter was forced to make her challenge down the middle of the track.
Friday's selections
THIRSK
1.40 STORM FOX
2.10 ONE OF OUR OWN
2.40 WIND IN YOUR SAILS
3.10 JUST JANET
3.40 IMPERIAL KHAN
4.10 KNIGHTSWOOD
4.40 DREAM TOGETHER
MARKET RASEN
1.50 JEEPYDOFF MEEL
2.20 MAGNA MORALIA
2.50 HANG IN THERE
3.20 LET ME BE
3.50 HIGH NOON
4.20 HONNEUR DE SIVOLA
4.50 CLEAN GETAWAY
BRIGHTON
2.00 HAVANA HEAT
2.30 MR FAYEZ
3.00 MASHADI
3.30 SUN FESTIVAL
4.00 GLENISTER
4.30 RIVAS ROB BOY
5.00 MARSH BENHAM
BATH
4.55 QUEEN OF STEEL
5.30 SYMBOL OF HOPE
6.03 LIL GUFF
6.38 TOCA MADERA
7.13 KRAKEN FILLY
7.48 WARREN HILL
8.20 BLUE HERO
GOODWOOD
5.15 DARVEL
5.50 NEVER ENDING
6.25 THE PRINCES POET
7.00 AL MOTASIM (NAP)
7.35 GRANARY QUEEN
8.10 AGE OF SAIL
HAYDOCK PARK
6.10 UNPLUGGED
6.45 KING OF THE PLAINS
7.20 SILENT FLAME (NB)
7.55 ABATE
8.25 DALLAS STAR
9.00 AL ALAALI
DOUBLE: AL MOTASIM and SILENT FLAME
