Could Ralph Beckett hold the key to a red-hot handicap at Bath which features potential Listed performers?

This is a red-hot race and a few will have Listed aspirations in time. That is certainly true of Perfect Your Craft, who has already run at that level in the Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood in May. She beat just one home, but was less than five lengths behind the winner.

Perfect Your Craft is bred to compete in Listed events because her dam, Pandora, was placed in that grade, and trainer Ralph Beckett will probably have no option but to go back in that class if his promising Mastercraftsman filly can make it two from two in fillies’ handicaps.

Her first victory in this company came under Rossa Ryan at Doncaster in July, when she had subsequent dual winner Nightsinwhitesatin back in third, and a 5lb higher mark isn’t a worry.

However, it is interesting that Ryan switches to ride stablemate Song Brocade instead and that Hector Crouch, who has ridden Song Brocade in her last two starts, returns to partner Perfect Your Craft. Crouch has a good relationship with her owner, though, so maybe that explains it.

Perfect Your Craft goes up in distance and so does Song Brocade, so it could come down to which of them improves for the stiffer test and there probably won’t be much between them.

Orionis is the other three-year-old who looks on the up, and the William Haggas-trained filly is a certain stayer. She is by Sea The Stars and out of a Listed-placed mare, so connections probably hold hopes she can reach that level herself, but she needs to improve.

She was turned over when 6-4 favourite at Salisbury last time and the horse who beat her was trained by none other than Beckett, so he has a line on which to judge Orionis against his contenders. That is enough to convince me that the Beckett pair are the two to concentrate on.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Going latest

The going at Bath on Tuesday was good, good to soft in places after 30.2mm of rain since last Wednesday. The ground is likely to ease further with 5-15mm forecast on Wednesday after up to 8mm fell on Tuesday.

What they say

Daniel Kubler, joint-trainer of Miss Dolly Rocker
She won the race last year and I think she's better with a bit of ease in the ground. It looks a nice opening for her.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Gangster Granny
She won well at Killarney the other day and seems to be in good form. This looks like an ideal race for her. It's good prize-money and it’s worth having a go.

Ed Walker, trainer of Simply Ruby
We’ve been waiting for the weather to change for Simply Ruby, who’s not raced since she won on soft ground at Ffos Las in June. That was her first run in a handicap and she did the job in a style that suggested she has plenty more improvement in her. She’s in good nick so we can hope she can build on that initial success with conditions in her favour.
Reporting by Charlie Huggins

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