Handicap debutante can take advantage oflenient-looking mark

Canadian Royal
8.50 Leicester
2pts win

Sure To Explore
3.40 Bath
1pt win

Upended
4.40 Bath
1pt win

Pursuing Steed
7.20 Leicester
1pt win

Canadian Royal
8.50 Leicester

Canadian Royal was well supported when narrowly touched off on his handicap debut at Yarmouth last week and, with that run under his belt, he is fancied to go one better.

Stuart Williams has his Newmarket string in decent nick and this three-year-old gelding is turned out quickly to run off the same mark before a 3lb rise kicks in.

Canadian Royal went down by just a head to Yorkshire Rover and, while it’s difficult to assess the form of that run – the winner had been beaten in two handicaps off an identical mark – he showed a likeable attitude, knuckling down all the way to the line, and there should be plenty more to come.

The rain-softened ground is a slight unknown, but being by Royal Applause he ought to take it in his stride.

Sure To Explore
3.40 Bath

Sure To Explore improved massively from her first run to her second when winning a maiden at Chepstow and William Muir’s filly could exploit her opening mark of 77 on her handicap bow.

She finished 12 lengths behind the 77-rated So Sleek on her debut at Leicester but turned the form around when beating Luca Cumani’s filly next time out and looks just the type to progress further.
So Sleek has since shed her maiden tag in convincing fashion at Lingfield, while Ralph Beckett’s Inconceivable – four lengths behind Sure To Explore in third – was only narrowly beaten on her handicap debut off an opening mark of 76.

That gives the form of her win some substance and, if the three-year-old takes another step forward, she seems sure to be involved at the death.

Upended
4.40 Bath

Upended has been soundly beaten in three mile maidens to date, but he has steadily improved with each outing and may have been given a chance off his opening mark of 63.

Handicaps have clearly been on the agenda for the son of Paco Boy, who was sent off 50-1 or bigger on each start.

The step up in trip could eke out the extra improvemen as he made eyecatching late headway to finish sixth on testing ground at Newmarket two starts back, suggesting a stiffer test of stamina in easier company would suit.

The fifth that day, La Rav, has since bolted up in a handicap off a mark of 85, while the fourth, Warsaw Road, has also opened his account and is now rated 77.

Chris Wall works wonders with three-year-olds – he has operated at a commendable 15 per cent strike-rate with that age group over the past five seasons – and the booking of Fran Berry looks significant.

Pursuing Steed
7.20 Leicester

Pursuing Steed has shot up 19lb in the handicap since opening his account, but he came from last to first to complete the hat-trick at Newbury last month and there could still be plenty more to come.

Hughie Morrison’s improving three-year-old was rated just 57 when getting off the mark over course and distance in May but has taken a huge leap forward with each run and the handicapper may not yet have a grip on him.

A mark of 76 requires more, but he quickened nicely last time out having been stuck behind a wall of horses and the runner-up Delfie Lane has won since.

The gelding should get a strong gallop to aim at with confirmed front-runner Tadaany in the field and he can swoop late for Morrison’s in-form yard.

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