Ross Millar's horse racing tips: "I fully expect him to win"

Saturday signalled the start of the flat season, and the weather was suitably glorious. Rossa Ryan continued to advertise himself as one of the best young riders in the country with his treble at Doncaster and, for my money, the most impressive of his three winners was Persian Force who bolted up in the Brocklesby, the first two-year old race of the year.

Traditionally, a ‘flash in the pan’ type can win this but last year’s winner, Chipotle, went on to record Royal Ascot glory and it would be no surprise to me if this son of Mehmas were to do the same.

My attention turns back to the jumps sphere on Monday, with the action on Racing TV coming from Ludlow. Sadly, small cards blight the fields, but I’ve found three selections. Best of luck, and please remember to gamble responsibly.

Only a three-runner field, with seemingly little between the trio. Brief Ambition impressed me on debut before leaving me nonplussed on his second start where he didn’t look confident at a number of fences.

His trainer, Fergal O’Brien, has enjoyed a good season but his strike-rate has slowed recently to nine percent, so I’m encouraged to look elsewhere.

Muckamore has been consistent all season, bar one run at Bangor where he possibly failed to stay three miles on soft ground. He faced a difficult task on his last start when trying to concede 3lb to the rapidly progressive Nocte Volatus, who was narrowly beaten in a Sandown handicap on his next start and now has a rating of 132, so a six-length defeat doesn’t read badly at all.

This trip of 2m4f may be the bare minimum Muckamore requires on this good ground, but I believe he’s still progressing and is nicely handicapped, so he can win this for Nigel Twiston-Davies who heads into the end of the season with his string in fine form.

He is a horse I’ve followed with great interest, ever since David and Kathleen Holmes announced their ambitious plan to campaign him as a colt over hurdles in a bid to create a successor to their late stallion (and his sire) Midnight Legend.

Many National Hunt stallions in France have proved themselves over obstacles, but it’s a route very few explore in Britain.

Midnights Legacy has shown a high level of form on the flat having reached a rating of 100, although his first couple of runs over hurdles, as a juvenile, were marginally disappointing.

He then won a minor novice hurdle at long odds-on at Plumpton before initially appearing to disappoint at Kempton when a beaten favourite. However, time has shown that being beaten nine lengths when trying to concede 7lb to Jay Jay Reilly was an impossible assignment, given that he is now rated 132.

An opening mark of 117 looks lenient and he’s sure to relish this good ground. I fully expect him to win this.

The form chance of Bobhopeornohope is obvious as he showed good form when winning here last time, but that came in an Amateur riders’ chase on soft ground that lacked depth, and while he has won on a sounder surface, I’m sure he’s better with give underfoot.

Tide Times was also a wide-margin winner at Ludlow last week and gets to run here under a 5lb penalty. He does, however, have a patchy profile overall and that, combined with a relatively quick turnaround, encourages me to look elsewhere.

Rocco arrives here with a bit to prove having been pulled up on his past two starts, but he has at least dropped to his last winning mark of 134 and clearly thrives on good ground.

He showed good form here this time last year when beaten a head by the re-opposing Head To The Stars and is now 5lb better off with that rival.

In a race where most have a few queries to overcome, I like the chances of the selection at a decent price.