Leicester probably wins 'card of the day' by split decision, mostly on account of Derby fourth Arod turning up in their minor event at 15:25. That three-runner affair is no betting heat, though the following fillies' handicap (15:55) is. We're sweetest on Perfect Persuasion, but so is everyone else by the look of things and odds on really isn't on in a race that's as competitive as this. A place bet against her is recommended, even with a field size of seven making this trickier than it could be. Joie de Reve is preferred to Laftah at the prices, the latter progressive but flattered last time while Joie de Reve would be the same price had her excusable last two runs never taken place. She was in over her head against useful rivals at Kempton on the first of those and found six furlongs there too sharp last time. Seven furlongs and a BHA mark of 74 look much more like it for Joie de Reve, who is arguably Perfect Persuasion's main challenger.
There is a none too dissimilar theory at play with our selected bet in Hamilton's 16:15. O Ma Lad might have been favourite for this closely-contested handicap had he not run at York's Dante meeting on his latest start. Before then he'd looked a horse on the way back to his best and, on balance, we can forgive a flop in what was a competitive race. O Ma Lad won his first two starts for John Quinn at the beginning of 2013, the first one from a BHA mark of 83 and the second over today's C&D. Now back down to 82 and under conditions that evidently suit, O Ma Lad has few excuses if he's tuned up after a two-month break.
Attention turns to Doncaster in the evening for our final bet. The 19:35 is a useful affair and is correspondingly well contested, with Pipers Note doing just enough to stand proud of the rest and entice us to a bet even though he's a narrow favourite. After a sharpener on his reappearance he went on to have a fine 2013 campaign, however curtailed it was, recording a second and two wins from three subsequent starts. Late last month he reappeared for 2014, putting in what looked to be a sharpener at the Northumberland Plate meeting. Here's hoping that he can move from first run to second as he did at three. We have faith in that, seeing the biggest doubt over whether Pipers Note will stay seven furlongs. Therefore if you're the type to put in an in-running lay, this might be a good opportunity.
Timeform UK SmartPlays
Back Joie de Reve to place @ 4.03/1 in the 15:55 Leicester
Back O Ma Lad @ 6.411/2 in the 16:15 Hamilton
Back Pipers Note @ 4.67/2 in the 19:35 Doncaster
