A Group 1-placed sprinter makes his handicap debut at Hamilton - Peter Scargill's three things to note on Thursday

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1. O'Brien stranglehold in Leopardstown's feature races

Leopardstown hosts the feature races today, with the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Glencairn Stakes (6.30) and the Listed King George V Cup (7.30) taking place. The Glencairn Stakes is a contest that usually goes to an older horse, with only Foxtrot Charlie and Magnanimous winning as three-year-olds in the last decade. However, the sole three-year-old in the race this year is particularly interesting, as Salt Lake City was last seen finishing fifth behind last weekend’s Derby winner Auguste Rodin in the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster. In the King George V Cup, the O’Brien family have quite the stranglehold with four of the five runners saddled by Aidan, Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien (Jim Bolger is the sole non-O’Brien). Joseph O’Brien’s two representatives - Shamwari and Thunderbolt - are particularly eyecatching as they are both once-raced maiden fillies. It would seem connections are either on the hunt for black type, or these two individuals are above average.

Salt Lake City18:30 Leopardstown

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Jky: Ryan Moore Tnr: A P O'Brien

2. Will Acklam impress at Hamilton?

Nearly a year on from his finest moment, Acklam Express makes his handicap debut in the 6f contest (3.35) at Hamilton. Trained by Nigel Tinkler, Acklam Express defied all expectations to finish third in last year’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot as a 200-1 shot. Defied all expectations of those who did not own the horse, that is, as his ecstatic owners backed him to finish in the first half of the field at considerable odds. Things have not been great for Acklam Express since that fine summer’s day last June, with just one placed effort in eight outings. As such, he is down in grade and equipped with a tongue tie for the first time at Hamilton (where he won as a two-year-old) with Royal Ascot presumably on the agenda regardless. If you are interested, Acklam Express is a general 80-1 for this year’s King’s Stand Stakes.

Acklam Express15:35 Hamilton

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Jky: Rowan Scott Tnr: Nigel Tinkler

3. Prescott runner out to maintain scintillating stable form

The tremendous form of Sir Mark Prescott was flagged in The Front Runner this week by Chris Cook during his engaging interview with Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning jockey Luke Morris. Last month was Prescott’s best May since 1993, and the trainer has already had four winners from ten runners this month. There is every reason to think that will be five winners from 11 runners today, with Blindedbythelights lining up at Yarmouth with the profile we have become accustomed to seeing from Prescott horses. The three-year-old raced three times in just under a month last autumn and has not been sighted since. Gelded over the winter, Blindedbythelights steps up from 7f to 1m3½f (7.40) for his handicap debut with Morris back in the saddle. An insight to Prescott’s thinking can also be seen in the horse’s entries, with him entered at Catterick on Saturday and Lingfield on Monday.

Blindedbythelights19:40 Yarmouth

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Jky: Luke Morris Tnr: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.