7:30 Tipperary – Raadobarg
This is a competitive looking condition race and with all 7 runners rated at 90 or above, it is really a pattern race in all but name. At the weights, it is hard to get away from RAADOBARG, who comes out the best of these with an official mark of 107 and who arrives here on the back of an extremely impressive win in the Irish Lincoln last month. He met a lot of trouble in running on that occasion but found plenty when pulled into the clear by Ben Coen, who retains the ride. He looks likely to progress into Group company this season, in which case he should prove more than capable of winning a race of this nature, especially on these terms. He won on Heavy ground at Haydock for Roger Varian and so any rainfall and soft underfoot conditions should be of no real concern.
4:40 Beverley – Happy
Although he has been a beaten Favourite on 2 of his last 3 starts, there are reasons to believe that HAPPY can finally get his head in front for Charlie and Mark Johnston as he begins his 4-year-old campaign. This is by far the easiest contest that he has faced in his career, and he returns to Beverley, where he ran the best race of his career so far when he finished 2nd here in April 2021. He has an official rating of 81, but he may not need to run to that level to win this. Unless one of the newcomers is particularly above average, which on paper seems unlikely, he should get an easy lead and is likely to prove too classy for his 6 rivals.
