Best Bets: Thursday 4 January

IM JUSTA PEALING (Trap 3) - 18:08 Hove 

Despite boasting a fairly progressive card in Ireland, IM JUSTA PEALING has very much looked like a work-in-progress following his switch to Hove to date, showing pace when runner-up on debut before completely missing the break when operating in the red jacket last time. Undoubtedly capable of better, he’ll likely need to track a strong early pace around the couple of bends, but that’s distinctly possible here and he can emerge on the scene approaching the third bend and is expected to be powering home from that point.

JESSE GEE JAMES (Trap 3) - 19:03 Hove

Having taken a marked step forward to shed the maiden tag on his penultimate start, JESSE GEE JAMES wasn’t seen to best effect on the back of a two-grade rise eight days ago, unable to challenge having been crowded early. Quickly afforded some mercy by the grader, the make-up of this race suggests there could be a pace burn up out wide, which ought to play firmly into the hands of the son of Good News. He can make a strong challenge from mid-division from halfway and be seen in a much better light.  

TABULE (Trap 3) - 20:21 Monmore

TABULE has quickly hit the ground running following seasonal rest, capitalising on the grader’s mercy when scoring three times in November, and she lines up here having posted a solid second when runner-up in this class of S1 12 days ago. A strong-running bitch with form at a higher level, she needs to escape potential early crowding on the short run to the opening corner but can prove too good for these rivals if doing so.