Horse racing tips: King's can lord over Salisbury rivals

I created a minor ripple when I tweeted on Saturday evening that I felt the excellent Cazoo Derby deserved a slightly better supporting card than was the case.

I do want to point out that I also tweeted on Friday evening that the Cazoo Oaks day card exceeded expectations race after race. I am certainly not among those calling for a one-day Classic bonanza card, but I stick to my view that Derby day could be improved upon.

Anyway, things calm down for a few days now.

He has been running himself into form in two starts this season over too short a trip, and he may be ready to score now he is stepped back up to 12 furlongs.

King’s Castle certainly improved a little last time with a decent effort at Sandown, and he has dropped 5lb in those two runs - and fully 10lb since he ran in his first handicap after wining his maiden for William Haggas.

Joe Tuite has run some horses at massive prices in recent days, but those sent off at 8/1 or lower have yielded two wins and four places so I am taking the view the stable is in very good form.

This is the lowest grade handicap King’s Castle has ever contested and we can expect a good show.

This race was won from stall 7 last year but those immediately behind the winner were all berthed in double-figure draws, so I am going to stick with Viva Voce who has bagged stall 13.

He is a slow-starting hold-up horse, so I am assuming he will be dropped in and come through late in what is set to be a fast run race.

Viva Voce had absolutely no chance from where he ended up, but ran really well to be sixth in a big field at Redcar last week. He was unlucky in-running the time before at Newcastle - and on his seasonal debut - so a turn in fortune is certainly due.

The handicapper dropped him 1lb for his latest effort, but I am reasonably convinced the mark is not the issue here and that he is certainly well-enough weighted.

Six Strings is obviously a big danger and Grant Tuer seems to have made him turn the corner. He will be short here and could win easily, but he will certainly help the price of Viva Voce in a race where I expect some bookies will offer an extra place.

Jamie Snowden has his jumpers in very good form at present, and looks to have found an ideal opening for Tinsmith to break his maiden and provide a rare Flat winner (from very few runners).

Tinsmith has run well on each of his last three Flat outings and his latest eye-catching effort came after a short absence. This trip suits and, if he comes on from his last run, he has definitely shown enough ability to beat this modest field – one which is numerically high but contains few with Flat ability.

George Bass looks a strong jockey booking, and it is a long way for Snowden to come with just one horse for a modest race such as this.