Notions can give Murphy boost in bid to be champion jockey
Notions can provide Oisin Murphy with a welcome winner in his tussle with William Buick to be champion jockey.
The roadshow moves on to Chelmsford and while the title looked done and dusted a few weeks ago, a flurry of winners for Buick has certainly added some intrigue to the closing week of the season as we await Champions Day.
Notions has only had the one run - but Jamie Osborne must have been pretty pleased with what he saw when second to the now 100-rated Jazz Club at Windsor. Not much went right for him there, it was a typical debut in that he was slowly away, ran green and even stumbled at one stage but he still had enough ability to finish within three and a half lengths of an above-average winner.
Buick's mount in the racingwelfare.co.uk EBF Novice Stakes, saeed bin suroor's ram ad ha an, has a similar profile after just one run but the form book tells us Notions achieved a bit more.
It is Murphy's turn to team up with Bin Suroor when Discover Dubai runs in the tote.co.uk Free Streaming Every UK Race Handicap. The lightly raced four-year-old caught a tartar last time out in Sunray Major, who is favourite for the balm oral Handicap on Saturday.
But Discover Dubai ran a better race than the fifth place next to his name suggests. He stumbled coming out of the stalls, went into the lead half a mile from home and while he would never have been a match for the winner, he would have been secondrid den with more restraint.
Tollard Royal looked useful when becoming yet another juvenile winner for George Boughey and can follow up in the British Stallion Studs EBF Restricted Novice Stakes.
He is carrying a penalty for his debut win and while it always takes a smart one to defy that, this Ribchester colt was backed as if a big run was expected and he delivered, winning by over three lengths.
Carlisle's new National Hunt season begins with an eightrace card and even at this early stage it looks like Ann and Ian Hamilton have their small string in great heart.
They run bavington bob in the Introducing Racing TV Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle and it is difficult to see what will stop him recording a fourth successive victory.
While he only got up close home last time out, he is still open to improvement and is clearly going the right way.
The Tom George-trained Another Stowaway loves good ground and might be the one to beat in the MansionBet Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase at Wincanton.