April 04 / 13.25 Musselburgh

13.25

Good

Virgin Bet A Good Bet Royal Mile Handicap

  • Prize money: £15462
  • 1m 0f 2y
  • Class 3
  • 6 runners
ITV
View Course
Virgin Bet A Good Bet Royal Mile Handicap

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

4/1 (Won)

  • Win: £5.00
  • Place: £2.00

Form: 5121-

Last run: 254 days

W: 8st 13lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 81

Form & Verdict
Improved with each run as a 2yo, readily winning nursery at Newbury (7f, good to firm; subsequently gelded) on last of them in July; has a long absence to overcome but he's in good hands and may still have untapped potential; should have no difficulty at all getting 1m.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

12

(10)

11th Aug 2026

Good To Soft

1m 1f 35y

Class 3

19:00 Hamilton

Strength Of Spirit

9st 4lb

J: Jack Nicholls

T: K R Burke

Made a winning reappearance at Musselburgh (1m, good to soft; first start since being gelded) in April and he also went close there over 1m1f in June; down the field at Goodwood (1m2f, good to firm) 12 days ago having raced freely, but it's likely this slight drop back in trip will suit.

20/1

10th

11

(10)

30th Jul 2026

Good

1m 1f 197y

Class 2

13:50 Goodwood

Strength Of Spirit

8st 9lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: K R Burke

Three wins from ten races, the latest win in April on reappearance; well beaten here in May but that was 7f and he's done much better when finishing close up from towards rear over 1m1f at Musselburgh on his two outings since; better is needed but 1m2f looks plausible.

25/1

4th

8

(2)

30th Jun 2026

Good

1m 0f 208y

Class 3

15:00 Musselburgh

Strength Of Spirit

8st 11lb

J: Sam James

T: K R Burke

Three wins at 7f and 1m (on this track; good to soft) but topped those efforts when a running-on close third, just behind Pandemonium over C&D (good; same terms) this month; should have more options now he's shown he stays this far; solid chance for last year's winning yard.

11/2

9/4

  • Place: £2.10

Form: 310-

Last run: 249 days

W: 9st 9lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 91

Form & Verdict
Cost 550,000gns as a yearling and ran only three times as a 2yo, winning 7f novice at Beverley (good to firm) before being hampered when last in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood; has not been let in lightly for handicap debut judged on that bare form, but he's completely unexposed, will stay 1m and his stable won this race 12 months ago; respected.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

4

(3)

8th Aug 2026

Good To Firm

1m 0f 0y

Class 3

16:14 Newmarket (July)

Vincenzo Peruggia

9st 6lb

J: David Egan

T: Charlie Johnston

Has failed to back up a good reappearance effort and finished behind two of today's rivals, albeit having raced wide, at Glorious Goodwood most recently (first run since being gelded); something to prove.

12/1

16th

3

(11)

30th Jul 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 3

17:55 Goodwood

Vincenzo Peruggia

9st 8lb

J: Rowan Scott

T: Charlie Johnston

Fast-ground 2yo novice winner who reappeared with good second in a handicap at Musselburgh (1m, good to soft) in April; however, two lesser runs have followed; gelded since and has to get back on track.

50/1

25th

25

(12)

18th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 0f 0y

Class 2

16:50 Ascot

Vincenzo Peruggia

8st 11lb

J: David Egan

T: Charlie Johnston

Last season's novice win came on good to firm (7.5f); this year's defeats at Musselburgh (1m, good to soft; ran well) and Newmarket (good to firm; not so well from the front) mark him down as an unlikely winner of this.

50/1

12/1

Form: 13P-

Last run: 191 days

W: 9st 2lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 84

Form & Verdict
Well bred (his dam was second in the Oaks), cost 750,000gns as a yearling and made a winning start for Charlie Appleby at Newmarket (7f, good to firm) last summer; however, he didn't build on that and he was pulled up in a nursery on his final outing; sold for just 25,000gns in February, gelded and probably best watched on debut for a new stable.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

11

(10)

29th Jul 2026

Yielding

1m 0f 123y

19:50 Galway

Monoceros

9st 5lb

J: Ronan Whelan

T: Iain Jardine

Newmarket debut winner for Charlie Appleby last summer (7f, good-to-firm); creditable yard debut in Musselburgh handicap in April but has taken a backward step both starts since.

14/1

9th

9

(4)

5th Jul 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 3

17:00 Ayr

Monoceros

9st 1lb

J: Andrew Mullen

T: Iain Jardine

Low-mileage 3yo; Newmarket winner for previous yard and ran well at Musselburgh on stable/seasonal debut; took a step backwards last time so needs to rebound.

16/1

8/1

Form: 107-34

Last run: 7 days

W: 8st 10lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Arrives on the back of two creditable runs over 7f at Southwell, not beaten far when fourth of nine on latest; should stay 1m and he's at least as effective on turf as AW; in the mix in first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11th

13

(4)

15th Aug 2026

Good To Firm

0m 5f 34y

Class 3

13:55 Newbury

Kanishka

8st 9lb

J: David Probert

T: Ian Williams

Sole win over 7f as 2yo for Brian Ellison; never dangerous over 6f on yard debut at Goodwood 17 days ago and now drops back even further in trip.

28/1

16th

21

(6)

29th Jul 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 4

17:00 Goodwood

Kanishka

9st 3lb

J: Cieren Fallon

T: Ian Williams

Running well in defeat in 7f/1m handicaps for Brian Ellison this year; changed hands for 34,000gns this month; shrewd new yard quick to drop him back in trip (peak RPRs last year achieved over 6f); worth a second look in the betting.

25/1

Form: 732-1

Last run: 45 days

W: 8st 10lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Consistent in three runs since debut, gaining a deserved first success at Kempton (7f) in February; the runner-up that day won in clearcut style next time; should be at least as good over 1m and remains unexposed; interesting candidate on handicap debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

11

(2)

13th Jun 2026

Good To Soft

0m 7f 127y

Class 2

14:10 Chester

Comic Hero

8st 7lb

J: Edward Greatrex

T: Andrew Balding

Plenty of promise on his final two starts as a juvenile and he'd been gelded when reappearing with Kempton novice win (7f, AW) in February; suffered from a lack of daylight but still only beaten 2l on his handicap debut (good to soft) in April and he was just pegged at Newmarket (again 1m, good to firm) six weeks ago; likely capable of better again.

7/2

OUR TIP

Form: 71-114 D

Last run: 38 days

W: 9st 7lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 89

Form & Verdict
Free-goer; won his first two races (1m at Kempton and 7f at Wolverhampton) for George Boughey before finishing last of four in the face of a sterner assignment back at Kempton; his mark has risen and others may have more potential.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

12

(14)

16th Aug 2026

Standard

0m 7f 14y

Class 3

15:40 Southwell (AW)

Utmost Good Faith

9st 5lb

J: Ray Dawson

T: Stuart Williams

Won once in Ireland and three times for George Boughey, twice on the AW and in a 7f Epsom handicap on final start for that yard; later sold for 28,000gns; had always worn a hood (also effective in tongue-tie) but went in blinkers on stable debut at Goodwood recently and raced too freely up front; now goes in an eyeshield; bit risky.

33/1

13th

4

(11)

1st Aug 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 0y

Class 2

16:10 Goodwood

Utmost Good Faith

8st 11lb

J: Jason Hart

T: Stuart Williams

Back in his comfort zone at Epsom (7f, good) last time, taking Class 4 record to 3-3; sold out of George Boughey's yard for 28,000gns since; returns to deeper waters off a demanding mark; new headgear.

18/1

1st

5

(10)

1st Jul 2026

Good

0m 7f 3y

Class 4

20:42 Epsom

Utmost Good Faith

9st 10lb

J: Billy Loughnane

T: George Boughey

Won a turf claimer in Ireland and landed two AW handicaps (1m/7f) for current connections at the start of 2026; has found life harder since but in some good 3yo only races and latest fifth of ten at Sandown (7f, good) in this headgear combination was creditable; respected taking on his elders.

5/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £21.50
Straight Forecast £18.51
Trifecta £230.20

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Comic Hero

TOPSPEED:

Utmost Good Faith

RP RATINGS:

Vincenzo Peruggia

The Guardian:

Strength Of Spirit

The Times:

Kanishka

POSTDATA:

Utmost Good Faith

NEWMARKET:

Utmost Good Faith

Daily Record:

Vincenzo Peruggia

Daily Mirror:

Strength Of Spirit

Telegraph:

Comic Hero

Daily Mail:

Comic Hero

D Express:

Comic Hero

The Sun:

Comic Hero

The Star:

Comic Hero