Five horses to follow at Goodwood and Galway on Thursday

Tipster: Alex Scott.

Best odds: 11-4.

An unexposed, progressive son of Sea The Stars moving up through the grades (and distance) for Joseph O'Brien, what is there not to like?

Admittedly, the Flaxman homebred will need to take another step forward on what is his first start in Pattern company, but his win in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last time is top form and that was his first start over a mile and a half, and on fast ground.

Unbeaten in two starts as a three-year-old, I fancy him to land the hat-trick here in a race where several of his rivals, a couple of which are shorter in the market, have a point to prove after emphatic defeats, albeit at a higher level.

Bred to improve with age and distance, it goes without saying his superb trainer remains in top form and despite having work to do on ratings, can continue his progression and lay down a strong St Leger marker.

Geryon is interesting, with the form of his Curragh fourth working out extremely well, and he has since followed that up with an impressive Group Three win, but he is stepping up three furlongs in trip and is not sure to relish the distance like Joseph O'Brien's colt.

Tipster: Johnny Ward.

Best odds: 7-4.

He has already been very well backed, but day-before markets lack any depth. 

He should become a more realistic price pre-racing on Thursday, and is very hard to oppose on what he has done so far over fences. 

He's my nap of the day on Thursday.

Tipster: RaceiQ nap of the day (Andy Stephens).

Best odds: 3-1.

Friendly Soul beat Kalpana early in her career but she’s since had her share of misfortune, including when third to Blue Bolt over a mile at Royal Ascot last time out.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained mare was shuffled back to last of the 15 runners early on. That was compounded when she and Oisin Murphy found more trouble, on the rail, about a furlong and a half from home.

In the circumstances, the pair performed wonders to make the frame and be beaten only 2¼ lengths.

Friendly Soul was quickest through the fifth furlong (12.47sec) and sixth furlong (11.79sec) plus easily best in the final furlong (12.37sec).

The daughter of Kingman might have been swiftest through the seventh furlong, too, had she not suffered more interference, but instead the winner grabbed a vital 0.36sec off her. For context, there was 0.43 seconds between them at the line.

Blue Bolt has since bolted up in the Falmouth Stakes and Friendly Soul now reverts to her optimum trip. Diamond Necklace is obviously a big threat but I'd have them much closer together in the betting. 

Tipster: Dave Nevison.

Best odds: 16-1.

Even though Christopher Mason’s gelding is 2lb out of the handicap here, he is improving quick enough to go very close.

He is 8lb higher than when winning his second sprint last time out, but he was vastly superior to his rivals in that Newbury contest, and hung violently right once hitting the front. 

However, I am prepared to put that down to him still being very green at this stage of his career and, given that his dam was rated 107 at her best, there's still considerable potential upside off this mark of 74. 

Tipster: Donn McClean.

Best odds: 12-1.

There are also lots of positives about Laafi’s chance in the Galway Hurdle the following day.  

First past the post in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at the Aintree Grand National meeting in April, Bill Durkan’s horse ran a big race in the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock next time.  He travelled well through his race, just behind the pace, and he looked the most likely winner when he jumped to the front over the third last flight.  He was just caught on the run-in by Moon Chime, but it was still a big run, and the winner won well on the flat at Kempton next time.

A classy handicapper on the flat for William Haggas, he wore cheekpieces for the first time over hurdles at Haydock, and it appeared as if they elicited a little bit of improvement.  He is progressive anyway, and it looks like his astute connections have had the Galway Hurdle in mind for him for a little while.  He is not alone in that, of course, but his running style should be well suited to a Galway Hurdle, and, a six-year-old who has raced just seven times over hurdles, he has the potential to go beyond his mark of 143, which is just 2lb higher than the British mark off which he raced in the Swinton Hurdle.