Sunday racing in Britain is a two-track affair this week, and Leicester gets the nod over Chepstow for quality. Six flat races await at Oadby, kicking off at 14:24 and wrapping up at 17:19, with a Class 3 novice event and a competitive Class 4 sprint handicap the pick of the fare.
The sun is out, the ground is riding good to firm, and the big yards have not stayed at home. Charlie Appleby sends one to the opener, while William Haggas has runners scattered through the card – including the horse everyone seems to be talking about this morning, Art Lover in the 16:44.
Small fields are the theme – nothing bigger than six runners – but small fields at Leicester often mean tactical races, and there is value to be found if you know where to look. Let’s get stuck in.
- Art Lover – 16:44 Leicester, around 2/1
- Greek Symphony – 14:59 Leicester, 7/4
- Ricardo Phillips – 17:19 Leicester, 5/2
- Al Wathba – 14:24 Leicester, 2/1
Meeting Context
The official going is good to firm, and with the Met Office forecasting sunny intervals, temperatures up towards 28C and next to no chance of rain, it will not be getting any slower. Leicester’s straight is a stiff, climbing finish – horses need to see out every yard of their trip here, and hold-up rides can be rewarded when the leaders tie up on the hill. In small fields on fast ground, though, don’t give the front-runners too much rope. The draw is rarely decisive over seven furlongs and beyond, so form and fitness matter more than stall position today.
With only Leicester and Chepstow (14:06–17:01) racing in Britain, the tracked newspaper tipsters – Templegate, Newsboy, Robin Goodfellow and Sporting Life’s Andrew Asquith – split their British selections between the two cards today, and our tipster ledger settles tonight. Art Lover in the 16:44 is already a popular pick on the morning tipping pages, headlining Betfred’s Sunday preview at around 2/1, while Charlie McCann has napped Ricardo Phillips in the finale.
14:24 – LOROS Irish EBF Novice Stakes
Class 3, 7f, 3 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Wathba | Connor Planas | Charlie Appleby | — | 2/1 |
| Ebt’s Warrior | Lewis Edmunds | William Muir & Chris Grassick | — | — |
| Jimtrott | Charles Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton | — | 22/1 |
The Favourites: Only three go to post, and the class angle is obvious: Al Wathba shaped with real promise on debut, only finding Haffner – runner-up in the Vintage Stakes since – too good. That is easily the strongest piece of form on offer.
The Value: There is precious little of it in a three-runner novice, though Jimtrott at 22/1 for the in-form Johnson Houghton yard is the only alternative if the Appleby runner fails to build on his debut.
The Verdict: Al Wathba. The debut form towers over his rivals and Godolphin second-season improvers of this profile take a lot of stopping at this level.
14:59 – Catalogue Engineering Nursery Handicap
Class 5, 7f, 6 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Symphony | Mason Paetel | Oliver Cole | 321 | 7/4 |
| Love Rome | Cieren Fallon | Charlie Johnston | 32 | 11/4 |
| Bayside | Lewis Edmunds | Rod Millman | 31603 | 11/2 |
| Jazzy Bay | Oliver Carmichael | Eve Johnson Houghton | 63334 | 6/1 |
| Better Nature | Rob Hornby | Jonathan Portman | 032 | 7/1 |
| Katie’s Cavalier | Silvestre De Sousa | David Loughnane | 5664 | — |
The Favourites: Greek Symphony heads the market at 7/4 having progressed with every start, winning her nursery bow at Lingfield by a neck. Love Rome, second on both career runs for Charlie Johnston, is the 11/4 second favourite and open to plenty of improvement himself.
The Value: Better Nature at 7/1 has hit the frame on his last two and Rob Hornby is a shrewd booking for the Portman yard; he is the each-way angle if the front two disappoint.
The Verdict: Greek Symphony. The 3-2-1 profile is exactly what you want in a nursery and she can defy a penalty-style rise before the handicapper truly catches her.
15:34 – TLC Teddies For Loving Care Handicap
Class 5, 1m4f, 6 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barak Warrior | Silvestre De Sousa | James Keane | 7781 | — |
| Al Maslool | Cieren Fallon | William Haggas | 750231 | — |
| Mountbatten | Dylan Hogan | Sir Mark Prescott | 877-14 | — |
| Sahm Naif | Ray Dawson | James Horton | -74115 | — |
| Ottoman | Jack Callan | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero | 832515 | — |
| Robusto | Harry Vigors | Eve Johnson Houghton | 301583 | — |
The Favourites: Barak Warrior showed marked improvement after being gelded to win his handicap debut at Bath last month, and De Sousa staying aboard is a plus. Al Maslool, a recent winner for William Haggas, and the Prescott-trained Mountbatten – a course scorer two starts back – head the dangers.
The Value: Sahm Naif has won two of his last five and is the sort of unexposed stayer James Horton can improve again; he makes each-way appeal at any decent price.
The Verdict: Barak Warrior. Gelding operations can transform these middle-distance types, and the Bath win suggested there is more to come off a workable mark.
16:09 – Dave Myers Memorial – I’m Having A Dave Day Fillies’ Handicap
Class 5, 1m, 5 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamzan | Rob Hornby | Marcus Tregoning | -43413 | — |
| Cancelled | Kevin Stott | Jonjo & A J O’Neill | -43541 | — |
| Spiritoftheblues | Mark Winn | David O’Meara | 8-7232 | — |
| Kaori | Jack Callan | George Boughey | 33-635 | — |
| Venetian Sky | Cieren Fallon | William Haggas | 0-3445 | — |
The Favourites: A race named in memory of the much-missed Hairy Biker, and a tight little heat. Tamzan got off the mark at Beverley two starts ago and went close again off a higher mark there last time; Cancelled arrives a last-time-out winner for the O’Neill team.
The Value: Spiritoftheblues has been placed on three of her last four for David O’Meara without winning – frustrating, but the consistency reads well in a five-runner field and she is unlikely to be favourite.
The Verdict: Tamzan. Rob Hornby’s mount is in the form of her life, stays every yard of this stiff mile, and a 2lb pull for a recent near-miss looks fair.
16:44 – ADS Handicap
Class 4, 6f, 6 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Lover | Cieren Fallon | William Haggas | 2187-2 | 2/1 |
| Ray Mon Dough | Hector Crouch | Oliver Cole | 1-626 | — |
| Sea Cookie | Neil Callan | Tom Clover | 22-110 | — |
| Percy’s Star | Silvestre De Sousa | Chris Dwyer | 52416 | — |
| Evening Blues | Ben Robinson | Stephen Hanlon | 2-5720 | — |
| Nuevo Slovo | Paddy Bradley | Simon Pearce | 167-00 | — |
The Favourites: This is the race of the day and Art Lover is the punters’ friend at around 2/1. The Haggas three-year-old won a maiden at Ffos Las last season, remains lightly raced in handicaps, and shaped like a well-treated horse when a length second at Chester on his reappearance.
The Value: Ray Mon Dough was far from disgraced on his handicap debut in a valuable Chester contest and is respected for Oliver Cole, while dual winner this term Sea Cookie could bounce back if forgiven a below-par last run.
The Verdict: Art Lover. The morning tipping pages have it right – the Chester second was full of promise, Fallon stays on board, and 2/1 in a six-runner Class 4 is fair rather than skinny.
17:19 – Leicestershire And Rutland Freemasons Charity LRFC Handicap
Class 6, 1m2f, 6 runners.
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Phillips | Nicola Currie | Henry Candy | 193-32 | 5/2 |
| Pisanello | Conor Whiteley | David O’Meara | 756111 | — |
| Clipsham Noble | Liam Wright | Charlie Clover | 541461 | — |
| Kameel | Oliver Stammers | Jessica Macey | 952444 | — |
| Hachiman | James Sullivan | Ruth Carr | 839035 | — |
| Read All About It | Lewis Edmunds | William Muir & Chris Grassick | 0-0380 | — |
The Favourites: Pisanello brings a hat-trick into the finale for the red-hot O’Meara stable and clearly cannot be ignored off a rising mark. But Ricardo Phillips, a 5/2 chance with bet365 this morning and Charlie McCann’s nap, ran a career best when beaten by Clipsham Noble last time and meets that rival on 2lb better terms.
The Value: Clipsham Noble himself has won two of his last six and is overpriced whenever the market fixates on the obvious pair; he confirmed improvement with that recent victory.
The Verdict: Ricardo Phillips. The form-reversal maths add up, Henry Candy’s stayers thrive on fast summer ground, and Leicester’s punishing hill will suit a horse who was doing his best work late last time.
Elsewhere this afternoon: our previews of Chepstow’s centenary card (14:06), Phoenix Stakes day at the Curragh (13:15) and the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville are all live now.
Accumulator
For those who like one bet to follow all afternoon: a four-fold on Al Wathba (14:24), Greek Symphony (14:59), Art Lover (16:44) and Ricardo Phillips (17:19) pays around 85/1 at current or forecast prices – a small stake returning serious money if Leicester’s short-priced bandwagon keeps rolling.
Please gamble responsibly: set a limit, stick to it, and when the fun stops, stop – visit BeGambleAware.org for free, confidential support.
