High hopes O’brien raider can land spoils at Bath

● Galway form key to success for promising filly

High Language can rise to the challenge of the British Stallion Studs EBF Beckford Stakes at Bath. The Listed event has attracted the attention of a clutch of leading yards – and tempted Joseph O’brien to fire two shots from Ireland.

One of them is four-year-old High Language, accompanied across the Irish Sea by stablemate Cascabel as well as Willie Mullins’ True Self.

Lightly-raced, High Language progressed in four relatively quick runs last year, including a maiden victory at Killarney.

She returned to finish a promising fifth in a Listed race at Gowran in May, and then – back from another break last month – outran her odds to fill the same position at Galway, little more than three lengths behind subsequent Longchamp winner Princess Yaiza.

That form puts her bang in the picture here.

In the Octagon Consultancy Handicap, Final Choice is top of the list on just his second start for Adam West and first back on turf since the end of his hurdling campaign with Warren Greatrex four months ago. Final Choice was only a neck away from flooring an odds-on shot at Chelmsford last week, and is a guaranteed stayer in this two-mile-one-furlong marathon.

Maknifico’s credentials are perhaps not entirely obvious in division one of the Bath City Let Handicap, but he may be worth chancing nonetheless.

William Knight’s three-yearold gelding has achieved relatively little so far, and has twice gone off at very big odds in his three starts.

But he makes his handicap debut at a very realistic level, and has the assistance of Silvestre de Sousa.

Field Gun has clear-cut prospects in division two of the 188Bet Casino Handicap at Newcastle. William Haggas’ three-year-old was a beaten favourite on his last two starts, but runner-up on both occasions.

He has acquired blinkers for his first attempt at a mile, back at the scene of his latest narrow defeat, and ought to get the job done this time.

At Nottingham, the most valuable prize of the day is reserved for the Tba #thisfillycan Fillies’ Handicap – and Roger Varian’s Elasia is a prime contender.