A Summer Evening in Somerset

There's something about an evening meeting in late August that just gets me. My old dad used to say that the best racing happened when the shadows were long and the ground was quick, and he had a point. He'd have loved tonight at Wincanton — six races spread across a warm Bank Holiday Monday evening, with the going reported as Good to Firm, Good in places (soil moisture sitting at 42). In other words, the ground is lively, the ball will bounce, and horses with a turn of foot are going to be rewarded. If your selection needs cut in the ground to show their best, tonight might be the night to keep your hand in your pocket.

It's a proper mixed card too — a couple of novice events for the youngsters and unexposed types, a feature race that carries genuine prestige and prize money, and three handicaps to keep the punting faithful busy right through to the final furlong. Pull up the Wincanton racecard and let's have a look at what's on offer.

The Feature Race: Juddmonte EBF Restricted Novice Stakes (17:48)

The standout race of the evening is the Juddmonte EBF Restricted Novice Stakes — a Class 2 contest over a mile and 31 yards with a very healthy £30,000 prize fund. For a Monday evening at a track like Wincanton, that's serious money, and the entries reflect it. Ten two-year-olds line up, all of them unrated, which means we're largely in the dark form-wise — but that's half the fun, isn't it?

The names that jump out immediately are those carrying the weight of well-regarded stables. Regalism, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, is the one I'd want to know the price about first. Haggas doesn't send horses to evening meetings at Wincanton unless they're ready to run well, and Marquand is in fine form throughout the card tonight. The Juddmonte backing in the race title also hints that there could be some quality lurking in these fields.

Nakila Sun for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy is another to consider — Balding's two-year-olds tend to be well-prepared when they make their debut, and Murphy rarely takes a spin for the fun of it. Keep an eye on Camarda Rc from Richard Hannon's yard too; Hannon knows a thing or two about placing a juvenile to win on an evening card.

Key Runners to Watch Across the Card

Melek Alreeh — 18:18 Handicap (1m 3f 99y)

In the Class 4 handicap over a mile and three furlongs, Melek Alreeh catches the eye immediately. The seven-year-old, trained by David Simcock and ridden by Rossa Ryan, carries the [D] course-and-distance winner's badge — and on going as quick as tonight's, that experience over this exact trip at this track is a significant advantage. Rated 85, he's at the top of the weights, but course specialists at Wincanton deserve respect. He's the one I'd build my each-way case around in that race.

Just An Hour — 18:18 Handicap

Also in that same race, Just An Hour is flagged up with both a course winner's [C] and distance winner's [D] mark. The six-year-old, trained by Rod Millman and ridden by Lewis Edmunds, is rated 73 — 12lb below Melek Alreeh — and if the weights help him get competitive, his familiarity with the track and trip could make him a live each-way shout at a potentially generous price.

Buckland Belle — 18:48 Class 6 Handicap (1m 31y)

In the three-year-old handicap over a mile, Buckland Belle carries the [C,D] double flag — a course and distance winner. Trained by Ollie Sangster and ridden by Tom Marquand, she's rated 60 in a field where ratings are tightly bunched between 57 and 63. The combination of proven course form and a top-drawer jockey booking makes her one of my banker selections of the evening. Good to Firm ground should suit a filly who's already won on this track.

Molly Mac — 19:18 Class 6 Sprint Handicap (6f 12y)

In the six-furlong sprint for three-year-olds, Molly Mac is the one with course form — the [D] marker tells us she's already won over this trip at Wincanton. Trained by Micky Fenton and ridden by Grace McEntee, she's rated 64 and tops the weights, but distance winners on fast ground in sprint handicaps are the bread and butter of a good Monday evening punt. She's my each-way fancy in that race.

Just Jump — 19:48 Class 6 Sprint (5f 21y)

Closing the card, Just Jump carries the [C,D] double badge in the five-furlong sprint — course and distance form is as relevant as it gets over the minimum trip, where track knowledge and handling of the bend can be the difference. Rossa Ryan takes the ride for Tony Carroll, and at a rating of 62, she's well placed in a competitive little field. On quick ground, proven five-furlong course form is gold dust.

How the Going Plays Tonight

Good to Firm, Good in places — with soil moisture at 42 — means this is fast ground, but not dangerously so. It rewards horses that are athletic, well-balanced, and have a natural turn of foot. It's not the kind of surface that flatters grinders or horses that need to be covered up and delivered late into soft ground.

For the novice races, that means juveniles with a smooth, fluent action will be at an advantage. For the handicaps, it's the course-and-distance winners who stand out — they've already shown they can handle Wincanton's undulations and this sort of pace. Horses with the [D] marker in particular should be respected tonight; they've already won over the exact trip on a track that can catch the uninitiated out.

Benoit de la Sayette has three rides tonight and is a jockey who travels well on quick ground — watch him on Cercis in the opener and Trafalger in the finale. Hector Crouch also has a couple of interesting bookings, including Queen of Hope in the opening fillies' novice — unexposed fillies from smaller yards can spring surprises on fast ground when they're ready. And don't overlook Kieran Shoemark on Sunday Girl in the opener — Ed Walker's filly is unrated but the yard knows how to place a horse.

Best Bets: Roger's Ones to Watch

  • Buckland Belle (18:48) — Course and distance winner, Tom Marquand booked, well-placed at the weights. Banker of the night.
  • Melek Alreeh (18:18) — Course and distance winner, top-rated, Simcock knows this horse inside out. Each-way.
  • Regalism (17:48) — Haggas/Marquand combination in the feature. Too well-bred and well-placed to ignore. Watch the market.
  • Molly Mac (19:18) — Distance winner in the sprint, Grace McEntee has a fine record on her. Each-way.
  • Just Jump (19:48) — Course and distance form to close the card. Each-way to end the evening.

It's a lovely evening's racing and Wincanton, as ever, delivers that intimate, proper-racecourse feel that the big tracks sometimes lose. Whether you're watching from the stands or following along at home with a cold one in hand, I hope tonight's card brings you a winner or two. Good luck, and enjoy the racing.