Monday tips: Andy Stephens marks your card

There are few in this 16-runner low-grade nursery who make any appeal. Badger’s Cove is an exception after his close third in a claimer at Fairyhouse last time. 

He travelled well through that race and would have got even closer to the pair who beat him but for having little room to manoeuvre in the final two furlongs and being baulked close home. 

The first two home have ratings of 72 and 73, which suggests that Badger’s Cove should have races in him off a mark of 59, albeit he was getting weight. He’s since switched yards and can hit the deck running for his new trainer. 

Adrian Keatley still has Rochfortbridge in the Group One William Hill Futurity Trophy Stakes on Saturday but has instead opted to take aim at this £40,000 Listed prize and can be rewarded. 

Rochfortbridge made an instant impact when upstaging the long odds-on Thesecretadversary on his debut at Ayr in late July. 

The runner-up had previously been runner-up in the Chesham and has since run well at the highest level in Canada. 

Rochfortbridge showed that was no fluke when a creditable fourth in the Acomb next time when the first three home were Gewan, Italy and Distant Storm. 

He was also not disgraced in another Group Three contest at Chantilly last time despite being poorly positioned in a slow-run race. The official assessor has got him on a rating of 99 and reckons he is the best horse in the race, yet he’s available at a general 7-2 to beat his four rivals. 

Shaayem heads the market after wins at Haydock and Epsom. His best effort came in between those victories, when third to Bow Echo at the former track, although he was well-placed in a race that developed into a bit of a dash. 

Dropping down to the minimum trip can help Double Naughty lose her maiden tag. 

She’s speedy and did not last home when fourth in a novice event over 7f at Chelmsford on her penultimate start. It was a similar story over 6f on soft ground at Thirsk last time, although it was only in the closing stages that she waved the white flag. 

Double Naughty runs off the same mark and will not be inconvenienced by the rain forecast to fall at the track on Monday. She also has the services of Cieren Fallon for the first time and I expect the combination to be calling the shots from an early stage. 

Another one who will not mind if the ground eases a bit at Bath is Valkyrja, who made all under Jack Callan in a similar race on easy going at Yarmouth last week. 

She has got a 5lb penalty to carry but there was plenty to like about the way she put them to the sword and the time, relative for the grade, was good. 

Valkyrja had also run well on her penultimate start, when going close at Kempton, and she is again equipped with the cheekpieces that she’s worn on her past two starts.