Senior form analysist Jamie Lynch has a Friday five to follow at Brighton and Bath, watch the action from both courses live on Sky Sports Racing…
SPLIT ELEVENS
3.00 Brighton – Download The AK Bets App Classified Stakes
There are a couple of notable “firsts” in play for Split Elevens: this is his first time down in a 0-50 classified, and the first time joining forces with Saffie Osborne, who has outstanding numbers at Brighton, including a top line of a 25 per cent strike-rate, and a run-to-form percentage of nearly 60 per cent when the average is more like 40 per cent. Split Elevens is himself a course winner, and the circumstances of that (came fast and late and wide) plug in perfectly with the projected pace in this race which could get very hot very quickly. He has his flaws and foibles, but who doesn’t in 0-50s, and, though a hard horse to love, he’s an easy horse to back under these circumstances.
ORIENTAL ART
4.00 Brighton – AK Bets Big Prices Big Limits ‘Confined’ Handicap
Wired that way, he has been too headstrong in two runs this year, but the first was after an absence and the second was in a slowly-run apprentice race, and Pat Cosgrave gets a go on him for the first time here, exactly the type of cool-handed rider that Oriental Art will gel with. Though he’s a tricky customer, what sticks in the mind is the silky-smooth way he handled Brighton on his one previous visit when beaten only by a Sir Mark Prescott 3-y-o. Oriental Art is a level above this lot, if he puts his mind to it.
KURIMU
5.05 Brighton – AK Bets Emile Heskey Euros Video Handicap
Chris Dwyer is riding high in the run-to-form table of British trainers, sitting in the top dozen, between Beckett and Sir Mark, and Kurimu looks ready to strike for him, especially now she’s dropping back in trip. Over a straight 7f the last twice, she hasn’t quite seen it out, compounded by soft ground last time, but at both Yarmouth (11.79 sec) and Doncaster (11.97 sec) she recorded the fastest mid-race furlong, to no avail, but such speed will be much better served by 6f around Brighton’s bend. The last time he was here (in mid-May), Silvestre de Sousa rode two winners, one for Chris Dwyer.
Four Adaay is one of the selections at Bath
FOUR ADAAY
6.45 Bath – Betting.bet Live Racing Results Handicap
The presumption is that Four Adaay will spring to life later in the season, the phrase ‘later in the season’ translating as ‘when blinkers are refitted.’ Presumption, however, is dangerous in racing, and keep in mind that this is the third start of her season, the start which triggered a win in both 2022 (Nottingham) and 2023 (Kempton), off higher marks than she now has, the lowest she’s been in the handicap for three years, while the booking of David Probert also wards against assumption. The blinkers are the only missing link, but headgear would halve her price.
JOHNJAY
9.00 Bath – Mitchell & Co Handicap
I could scarcely believe the price Johnjay went off at Newbury, as short as 11-8 in a 13-runner apprentice handicap, but, as forewarned, he ran the race of his life in a disjointed contest, beaten only by the higher-drawn Grey Fox, who was rated 69, therefore overqualified for this lesser handicap. Johnjay is now back at the venue of his convincing win last year, as well as a good third on his reappearance, and, still pushing upwards, he should be too hot for the rest to handle under Probert.
Watch the action live from Bath and Brighton on Sky Sports Racing.