Join the Cape crusade

Mark Johnston appears to have found a fine opportunity for Cape Islay to regain losses in the British EBF Nursery Handicap at Nottingham.

The Cape Cross filly is back up in distance – to this one mile and two furlongs – for her handicap debut after one victory in three attempts so far.

Following a promising third here on debut under Silvestre de Sousa and her decisive maiden success over a welltouted odds-on favourite at Epsom, Cape Islay was at the head of the market herself at Beverley last month. But sent off the 11-4 joint-favourite, despite giving weight away all round, she had a luckless run – twice stopped in her tracks and having to switch late on.

A resulting 12-and-a-halflength fifth tells little of the true story – and, with De Sousa back on board for this valuable event, significant consolation is due.

Harlequin Striker is top weight for a reason in the Bet At Racing Uk.com Handicap. Some may be put off by the six-year-old’s acquisition of a visor in place of his longowned cheekpieces. But Dean Ivory’s gelding was last a winner in the corresponding race here 12 months ago, when the headgear went on for the first time. He has been getting to the front of late, but just not managing to stay there on stiffer tracks, and it may be that everything falls into place this time.

At Kempton, John Gosden’s Buffalo River can help get the evening off to a flying start in division one of the Close Brothers/british Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes. There will be many unwilling to trust Buffalo River again after he was turned over at 2-9 on his first crack at the Polytrack.

The fuller picture is three close-up placings out of three, though, and short memories of being nabbed on the line by a debutant may inflate the price of a prime contender.

His third place at Doncaster behind subsequent Group One winner Royal Marine and the also-smart Turgenev looks an increasingly good effort.