Racing League commentator Anthony Ennis highlights the horses to watch in week one of the Yarmouth races, live on Sky Sports Racing on Thursday night.
The fourth Racing League, broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing, is just around the corner, with teams competing to be crowned the next winner following in the footsteps of Team TalkSPORT, Wales & The West and Team Ireland.
What’s different this year is that the races will be held without a break, meaning they will take place on six consecutive Thursdays. One thing that hasn’t changed from 2023 is that the series will start in Yarmouth and I’ve set out to find five runners worth keeping an eye on at the East Anglian venue on Thursday.
Ingra Thor
Defending champion Ireland has a very strong hand in the 6.00 six-furlong handicap race 2 and is not about to let the title go. But I Ingra Thor For Jack Channon and the London & the South team.
He had a good run as a three-year-old handicapper, including winning the high-end handicap at the Guineas Festival at Newmarket. He has yet to regain that form, but showed signs of recovery last time out at Doncaster, finishing third after running well over the long distance. His favourable starting position of fourth gate means he should be able to run well under jockey David Probert. If he is anywhere near the 9-1 mark, he could make an appealing case either way in what looks to be a strong race.
Pedro Valentino
Wales & the West and Saffie Osborne were particularly dominant on this night last year, winning Race 4 of the Seven Furlong Handicap at 7.00 behind Clive Cox. Pedro Valentino.
This progressive grey horse put in a dominant performance when he won at Haydock two races ago and was likely bumped up against a well-handicapped horse in Cody Lion at Ascot last time out, and this horse looked like a winner until quite late in the race and could even outstrip team-mate Yantarni for a big win.
Equity Method
Equity Method A big disappointment at Windsor last time out, many horses don’t thrive on that curved course and with the fifth race at 7.30pm returning to the more conventional five furlong straight, Andrew Balding’s three-year-old should do much better.
Equity Law is back in action in Yarmouth
He impressed in a tough handicap race at Sandown in April and if he returns to that form he will be hard to beat in this race, with his London & the South team-mate Miss Attitude probably the biggest threat.
Bailey’s Kelster
It’s great to have Charlie Johnston in the excellent Scottish team this year and he will play a big part in the Stayers’ Handicaps throughout the series. His father Mark was a big supporter of the Stayers’ Handicaps at this time of year. Bailey’s Kelster Race 6 at 8:00 fits that bill perfectly.
The son of Cross of Stars won his first two races of the season, including Ascot, and looked set to make it three wins in a row when he comfortably took the lead two furlongs from the finish at Ayr last month, only to be beaten in the final furlong by the wily veteran Euken Glen. Still, it was a good run and the four-year-old should be able to get back on winning track soon on a course where he performed well last season. Another plus is that he’s ridden by a regular rider in the name of Joe Fanning.
Flying Frontier
Yorkshire appear to have made a major signing by bringing Newmarket trainer James Tait onto the team and bringing his runners into the team. Flying Frontier The horse could be the top scorer in the seventh and final race over a mile and two feet at 8.30pm. Fearle’s colt could take another step forward from his debut this season, where he finished eighth in a 15-horse 0-100 handicap race at Sandown last month.
He wasn’t actually that far behind and was reported to have been hanging left but that wouldn’t have helped his position. The three at the top of the market all have solid claims so he’s not a good horse but if he keeps going straight and appeals at around 8/1 he’ll give Joanna Mason a good spin.
You can watch all the action from Yarmouth’s Racing League 1 Race Week live on Thursday 25 July on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519).
