Best Bets: Saturday 2 October

Geelo Flicker (Trap 2) - 18.51 Sheffield

We head to Sheffield for this evening’s first smartplay selection and completely unexposed youngster GEELO FLICKER (Trap 2, 18.51) can hopefully get us off to a flyer. A well-bred May 20’ whelp, she didn’t go without promise when third on her competitive debut in this grade of A6 8 days ago, despite encountering early crowding. That experience won’t have been wasted on her and in a race in which the merit of her 5 rivals is firmly established, marginal improvement can see her play a lead role in proceedings.

Tashade (Trap 1) - 19:24 Monmore

Monmore’s 19.24 doesn’t look the strongest of maiden open contests on paper and with that in mind, it may pay to side with progressive grader TASHADE (Trap 1) to come out on top. Boasting som slick early pace, she handled the 2-grade hike with ease when registering a make-all success in A2 company 9 days ago. In all likelihood there’s more to come from Paul Sallis’ January 20’ whelp and we’re hopeful she can make a bold bid to boss matters from lid rise on the rails.  

Optic Maloney (Trap 5) - 19:44 Monmore

We step up in trip for our second selection at the West Midlands venue at 19.44, another maiden, this time over the 630-metre trip and one arriving less exposed than most in the shape of OPTIC MALONEY (Trap 5) who is fancied to prove tough to contain. A strong-finishing winner of an A2 on his penultimate start, he shaped better than finishing fourth suggests in top grade latest and was again noted doing his best work at the finish. Turning front rank on the short run to the corner looks distinctly possible on balance and he can land the spoils with further progress expected.