Rory Delargy

YORK SATURDAY

1.50 sportingbet.com STAKES (1M1F)

David Barron has endured a lean year, but the signs are that the Maunby trainer is in for a profitable autumn, with his last two British runners (at the time of writing) winning, and his patient approach with the lightly-raced Indy can be rewarded in the Knavesmire opener. Indy won a heavy-ground maiden on his only outing as a juvenile, and has only been sighted once since, when chasing home subsequent Group 3 winner Master Carpenter at Sandown in May. He was no match for Rod Millman’s talented colt there, but the winning margin was greatly exaggerated by a fine ground-saving ride on the winner by Ryan Moore, and the selection kept on to beat the others readily in that listed contest. His maiden win has worked out very well indeed, and he remains open to significant progress after just two starts. The handicapper hasn’t had much to work on to allot him a mark of 95, and that looks a potentially lenient assessment given the collateral formlines involved.

3.30 CORAL SPRINT TROPHY (6F)

I put up Aetna as one of my Ten To Follow at the start of the season, and Mick Easterby’s filly has done us proud, winning at Newcastle on her reappearance, and reaching new heights when slamming Wokingham winner Baccarat at York the following month. Since that win she’s been saved for an autumn campaign of her preferred easy ground, and caught the eye in no uncertain terms at Newmarket last time when the good ground would have been plenty fast enough for her. She finished off with gusto there under no more than a hand ride having also taken a bad step at a crucial stage. With that run to ensure she is at the peak of condition, she looks ready to run the race of her life in the Coral Sprint Trophy, and while her followers have had to be patient, she should prove worth the wait.

4.45 EASYODDS ‘THE ODDS COMPARISON APP’ STAKES (2M2F)

A low draw is not the advantage it ought to be on York’s round course, but there are sound reasons for believing Kashmiri Sunset can overcome any bias against those to race towards the far rail, given he’s a hold-up horse ridden by a tactically astute jockey in the shape of Danny Tudhope. Ed de Giles is similarly underappreciated, but the Ledbury handler continually punches above his weight, and is an excellent trainer of a handicapper, as he’s shown over the past couple of seasons. Kashmiri Sunset has a field of exposed stayers to beat, and is pretty much the only runner in this contest with scope to improve significantly, which he threatens to do now tackling two mile+ for the first time. He found a pedestrian pace against him when behind handicap snip William of Orange at Haydock on his latest start, but was again noted staying on stoutly, and it will be a major surprise if he can’t perform to a higher level no his stamina is tested more fully. Cape Tribulation is better known for his chasing exploits these days, but hasn’t been seen to best effect in two runs on the flat this season, and has been given a chance by the handicapper. He may prove the biggest danger to the selection.

CHEPSTOW SATURDAY

5.30 JOHN AYRES MEMORIAL HANDICAP CHASE (3M)

Things didn’t pan out as well for Highland Lodge last season as might have been expected after he finished a good fourth in the Hennessy on his second outing, but it’s more than likely that a slog in the Welsh National took its toll on him, and he’s just the type to bounce back better than ever this term. He’s been given a chance by the assessor, and it looks a generous piece of handicapping to have him rated 9lb below the mark off which he ran at Newbury. He is arguably better at a bare three mile than further, and is also a better horse going left-handed, although he ran a stormer at Wincanton on his 2013/14 return, which is another reason to expect him to be firing on all cylinders. The fitting of headgear could be a blessing or a curse, but he’s too well-treated to ignore.

MUSSELBURGH SATURAY

5.25 LUDDON-FRONT RUNNER IN CONSTRUCTION HANDICAP (5F)

Classy Anne has enjoyed a successful campaign, improving markedly in the spring and continuing her progress throughout the summer, with her latest second at Hamilton representing a career best. She’s arguably better suited by the stiff finish there than she is by the flat track at Musselburgh, but remains on an upward curve, and is a more potent force when there is plenty of ease underfoot. She will get her conditions here, and takes on a much weaker field than when contesting a competitive Class 4 event last time.