Wednesday Racing Tips: French Duke has more to offer say Timeform

• French Duke can improve if settling better

• Aesterius can prove too sharp for rivals

• Perceval Legallois is ahead of the handicapper

• Completely Free Bet on racing multiples for Glorious Goodwood

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Headgear can help French Duke open his account

French Duke has shown a high level of ability for one who's yet to win a race but he's still had only the four runs for Roger Varian and can get off the mark in Goodwood's mile and a half handicap (13:50) for three-year-olds.

He very much caught the eye when making his handicap debut at Royal Ascot last time. Despite failing to settle on his first try over a mile and a half, he swept past the majority of the field in the King George V Stakes when making a forward move with half a mile to run before his earlier exertions caught him up with him, doing well in the end to finish sixth behind Going The Distance.

French Duke remains favourably handicapped, running off the same mark here, and tops the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by a pound as a result. A good-topped son of Sea The Stars with scope for more improvement, he's fitted with a hood for the first time and, if that helps him to settle better than previously, he's capable of recording his first win.

Sharp five furlongs tailor-made for Aesterius

Goodwood's Molecomb Stakes (15:00) for two-year-olds over the minimum trip has attracted a big field of 16 but a couple are clear of the rest on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings. Ed Walker's filly Celandine is one of those and while she has yet to race over five furlongs, the speed she has shown over six, most recently when third in the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly, suggests she'll be suited by this sharper test.

But the one who makes most appeal is the Archie Watson-trained Aesterius who heads the ratings by a pound. Wathnan Racing's expensive breeze-up purchase made a winning debut at Bath with little fuss before running a very good fifth behind the same owners' Shareholder in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. Moving sweetly for a long way, Aesterius just came off worst in a tight finish for the places but left the impression he could improve again. He duly did so when justifying favouritism in a listed race at Sandown last time when again impressing with how he went about things.

In contrast to the stiffer finishes at Ascot and Sandown, Goodwood's easier five furlongs looks ideal for the strong-travelling Aesterius and his form already looks on a par with the usual standard required to win a Molecomb.

Perceval Legallois can lift the Plate

Huge fields are the order of the day at Galway, including in the Festival's feature event the Galway Plate (19:10) which looks a typically competitive renewal. Between them, the stables of Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Henry de Bromhead account for 15 of the runners, with Elliott's sextet including last year's winner Ash Tree Meadow who heads the weights. The progressive Lets Go Champ looks the pick of De Bromhead's runners while Paul Townend has chosen Mister Policeman from Mullins' entries despite disappointing at Punchestown last time.

However, it is Gavin Cromwell's single representative Perceval Legallois who is fancied to thwart all those whose yards are mob-handed and provide jockey Mark Walsh with his third winner of the race in the colours of J. P. McManus.

This may have been a long-term plan as Perceval Legallois made a successful debut over fences at Galway last October. Later in the season he was in the process of a running a fine race in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival when crashing out at the last and then found only the hugely progressive Hgranca de Thaix too good in the novices' handicap at Punchestown last time in which Mister Policeman disappointed.

Jumping very well in front and forcing a pace which blew the field apart, Perceval Legallois was left behind by the winner on the run-in but remained well clear of the rest. Despite a 5 lb rise in the weights he still looks ahead of his mark and is 3lb clear on Timeform ratings.

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