Daily Racing Multiple: Wild can lead the way for Saturday double crusade

Crusade looks perfect for Melrose test

Back Wild Crusade @ 5.59/2 in the 14:25 at York

At a time when the racing fixture list is overloaded with 5f, 6f and 7f races, today's Melrose (the junior Ebor) is the sort of contest that there should be more of: well bred stayers that get a chance to shine over 1m6f. I'd have a whole card with these races, it would be my shangri-la.

Today's looks a strong renewal, but if ever there was a horse with staying abilities tailor-made for this test, it's Wild Crusade.

His trainer Charlie Appleby finally got on the scoresheet at York yesterday with a double and he's won this race twice in 2017 and 2018 with Secret Advisor and Ghostwatch, who were both by Dubawi rather unsurprisingly. And today's selection is by the super sire.

He overcame a small field at Ascot last time over 1m4f and a slow-ish early pace to finish strongly with his three quickest sectionals from 3f out - two of which were under 12 seconds. He's an out and out stayer.

That run came off the back of him being gelded and his unlucky effort at York earlier in the season over 1m4f behind Al Qareem - a race in which he was outpaced and met trouble.

His best time figure came from Ascot last time and the form has been franked with the second winning since. I like his chances over today's new distance.

Fleur can get off to winning start for Gosden

Back Queen Fleur @ 9.517/2 in the 16:25 at Sandown

Regular readers of the Daily Racing Multiple will know I am not averse to picking and backing a 2yo newcomer, and while it is a guessing game of sorts, a horse bred by Phillipa Cooper and her Normandie Stud can be relied upon to not only stay, but they are usually pretty decent.

Today's one is Queen Fleur - who is worth taking a chance on at 17/2.

She is out of Cooper's mare Fleur Forsythe, who won as a young horse over 1m at Salisbury early in her career and went on to record a three-figure rating. She is a half-sister to Dolores, who in turn is the dam of good stayers Duncan, Samuel and Gretchen, so the trainer John Gosden will know this family well.

Her first horse Soames Forysthe didn't achieve too much in a couple of starts, but 7f looks an ideal starting point with a good draw today.

Gosden is the leading trainer at Sandown this term with a 27% strike-rate, and I've often thought that Johnny G would make a good character in John Galsworthy's epic The Forysthe Saga - just like some of the horses' namesakes.