Wednesday evening promises thrilling All-Weather racing action from Southwell, broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing. The Come Racing For Free 18th June Novice Stakes is set to be an exhilarating contest, featuring three inexperienced yet promising colts. Goldinthesea, having recently transferred from Joseph O'Brien's stable to Ed Bethell's, is an intriguing contender.
His impressive performance at Dundalk in January has been reinforced by the third-place finisher's subsequent win, suggesting a bright future for this No Nay Never offspring under new management. Penny Time, trained by Hugo Plamer, is another exciting prospect, having dominated at Southwell last month and aiming for his third consecutive victory.
Owen Burrows' Sassicaia, with only one prior start resulting in a win at Wolverhampton in December, remains an enigma with considerable potential. Shadow Boxer, a debutant costing €520,000, represents Victorious Forever, with the market likely to reveal more about his capabilities. In another competitive event, the Ladies Day Sunday 16th August Fillies' Handicap, three recent winners will clash.
Cool Molly, having won the All-Weather Vase Fillies' Handicap at Lingfield 12 days ago, is set to be a strong contender, despite being up three pounds. Vencedora, wearing the renowned Sheikh Mohammed Obaid colors, is lightly raced and relatively unexposed, having won her first race in a three-runner contest at Newmarket in September. Rogue Citation, with a similar profile to Vencedora, having only run twice, secured her first win last time out in October.
It will be fascinating to observe how these fillies have progressed over the winter and whether they can challenge the race-fit Cool Molly. The evening's finale features Seven Fires attempting to secure a hat-trick in the Summer Socials At Southwell Racecourse Fillies' Handicap. With two wins at Newcastle, showcasing her adaptability by leading from the start on debut in February and coming from behind to win last month, she steps up to six furlongs and is expected to be a formidable opponent.
Top-rated Barefoot Beach, having only run twice, seeks to rebound from a close second-place finish at Kempton, having previously won at the same track and distance on debut. Zighy, having finally broken her maiden, could yet improve, given her consistent top-three finishes in all five starts. Additional racing action includes Betelgeuse aiming for another course and distance win at 6:30 Southwell, and notable jockeys Zac Purton, Harry Bentley, Hugh Bowman, and Andrea Atzeni competing at Happy Valley.