Talented Jubiloso can keep the punters happy at Sandown

MY PARTNER Filomena, who is from Lisbon, reliably informs me that the word jubiloso translates to jubilant – and I was feeling quite triumphant myself this week having strung half a sentence or two together following my first evening class in Portuguese on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, I made a bit of an eejit of myself having sat in on the Brazillian Portuguese class instead of the European, but I copped on after about ten minutes and made a hasty exit.

In fairness, a lot of it is the same, and it’s a bit like how there are local differences in how we speak English in Ireland, compared to Britain or America.

You might be wondering what on earth this has to do with racing and the answer is not a lot, other than the fact that Michael Stoute’s Jubiloso will be aptly named if she gets my betting day off to the best possible start by winning the Group Three Fillies and Mares’ Betway Atalanta Stakes at Sandown (3.0).

Actually, jubilant is probably the wrong word, it will be more a sense of relief having failed to find a winner last week, and no-one is going to get rich on the Shamardal filly at even-money. But when you’re having a poor patch in your betting, you sometimes need that one nice win to get the confidence back, and she’s definitely the best of the bunch in this nine-runner field under Ryan Moore.

A relation of Frankel, she lost her two-race unbeaten record when third in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, but to tackle a Group One was a big step up in class, and a lack of experience played a part in her loss.

She dropped down to Group Three level at Goodwood last time and was beaten once again, this time at even-money – so it’s understandable if some backers are a little frightened to go back to the well today. However, she really should have won that race; she was given too much to do and she ran into trouble a number of times so I’m going to overlook that effort.

She’ll appreciate the step back up in trip to a mile here, and I’ll be very surprised if she’s not back in the winner’s enclosure at about ten past three this afternoon.

The one I’m most worried about is Duneflower for the John Gosden and Frankie Dettori team. A winning filly at handicap level, she stepped up in class to win a Listed race at Ascot in July and looks open to further improvement.

We could go on all day with the wordplay but a little later on the same card, Positive is tipped to land the Group Three Betway Solario Stakes (3.35), priced in the region of 13/8.

This race was won by Too Darn Hot last year, which has finally got back to winning ways after a shaky start this term, and the 2017 winner was of course Derby hero Masar – so it will be interesting to follow up whichever horse is successful this afternoon.

A son of Dutch Art, Positive was a stylish winner of his maiden at Salisbury in June, and it was no disgrace to see the Clive Coxtrained colt finish second to the very talented Pinatubo in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last time out.

A step down to Group Three level should do the trick although there are a couple of threats to the bet including Al Suhail, which is expected to improve on his win at Yarmouth and also Visinari, which was fourth behind the selection in the Vintage Stakes and may have more to come.

For something at a bigger price, consider backing Peggie Sue, which was trading at 11/1 yesterday evening for the ESL Group Handicap at Chester (3.55). Jockey Toby Eley claims 5lbs on the Adam West-trained filly, which was a neck-second to Kyllang Rock in a conditions race at Nottingham last time with Eley on board. The pair have stuck up a good relationship with Eley taking the reins in four of her six wins.

She’s won a handicap off 82 in the past and based on her latest piece of form, a mark of 84 today seems reasonably fair.

Richard Fahey has a good record in this race and Growl is respected at odds in the region of 4/1. He comes here with a rating of 95 having put an end to a very long losing spell when taking a Ripon

Handicap off 89 last time out, but he was third in this race off 99 last year so all considered he’s in with a very good chance of making the frame.