BANK ON BAY TO RETURN TO WINNING WAYS IN SANDOWN STAKES

Atalis Bay can return to winning ways in the Coral “Beaten By A Length” Free Bet Scurry Stakes at Sandown today.

Marco Botti’s colt has prevailed in half his eight career starts to date, having marked himself out as a very useful performer with a quick and emphatic hat-trick as a juvenile last summer.

He was then no match for the classy Winter Power in the Group Three Cornwallis Stakes at Newmarket, and again found the same opponent too good for him when nonetheless a very creditable second at Listed level on his second start of the new campaign and most recent appearance at York last month.

There was no shame at all in a second defeat, especially a very honourable one this time, behind a winner being touted as a lively threat to the mighty Battaash in the Group One King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.

Atalis Bay, previously successful himself in tidy fashion on his return in a conditions event at Nottingham in April, has shown himself highly-effective at this minimum trip and in forecast quick conditions.

There is nothing quite of Winter Power’s calibre to outdo him in this Listed company, and every reason to anticipate he can enhance his already admirable career record.

Earlier on the card, Seraphinite is another sprinter worth supporting to relocate the winning habit – in the Coral Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap.

The four-year-old ran well last time, on her second start since joining William Jarvis, to be a close third on ground softer than she prefers.

King Of Clubs can do so too, in the Coral Handicap. Hughie Morrison’s colt makes his handicap debut from a rating of 85, having demonstrated already he is significantly improved after beginning his career with two mildly promising efforts on the all-weather last winter.

King Of Clubs was then beaten just a short-head on his turf debut in a Nottingham novice in late April, before returning over the same course and distance to justify odds-on favouritism by opening his account stylishly. SELECTIONS

BATH: 1.20 Toybox, 1.55 Symphony Perfect, 2.30 Clarendon House, 3.10 Blessed, 3.45 Zulu Zander, 4.20 Broadhaven, 4.55 Emanate. HEXHAM: 1.15 First Revolution, 1.45 The Wrekin, 2.20 Chapmanshype, 2.55 Ask Paddington, 3.30 Story Of Friends, 4.05 For Jim, 4.40 The Dawn Man, 5.10 Follow Your Fire.

SANDOWN: 1.05 Silent Film, 1.35 Seraphinite, 2.15 ATALIS BAY (NAP), 2.50 King’s Knight, 3.25 King Of Clubs, 4.00 Poet Of Life, 4.35 Spring Glow. DOUBLE: Atalis Bay and Skyrunner. CASTLEGATE SELECTION: KING OF CLUBS (Sandown, 3.25).