Turf Talk: James Street expected to pass Dunstall Park test

Hugo Palmer’s colt won successive races on turf at Doncaster and Nottingham last summer to earn himself a shot at the Acomb Stakes at York.

That Group Three contest proved too much too soon for the son of Gale Force Ten, but he seemingly suffered no lasting damage as he performed admirably on each of his three subsequent starts on the all-weather.

His first outing on artificial surface was a winning one as he made all the running at Kempton in early December and only narrowly failed to follow up in a stronger race over the same course and distance shortly after the turn of the year, going down by a short head to No Nonsense.

It is perhaps a shade disappointing that the horse who finished sixth that day – Mark Johnston’s Deep Intrigue – emphatically reversed that form when winning at Lingfield a couple of weeks later, with James Street once again having to make do with the runner-up spot.

Palmer’s charge just looked to lack a yard of pace on that occasion and with the more testing nature of Dunstall Park likely to see him in a better light, James Street should make his presence felt.

Union Rose can secure his second course and distance success in the space of a fortnight in the Betway Sprint Handicap.

The Ron Harris-trained gelding was rated in the 90s a couple of years ago but a largely disappointing run of form saw his mark fall to just 70 ahead of his latest assignment.

The seven-year-old made the most of the opportunity, winning with something to spare. He is clearly a little bit and miss, but a 4lb hike is far from insurmountable if he is in the same mood.

Indeed, Union Rose was 7lb higher than he is now when winning here little over a year ago.

American Graffiti shaped with abundant promise on his racecourse debut and is difficult to oppose in the concluding Ladbrokes Home Of The Odds Boost Novice Stakes.

Charlie Appleby’s well-bred three-year-old was a 10-1 shot for his introduction at Chelmsford less than three weeks ago, suggesting he had not been burning up the Newmarket gallops.

However, he outran those odds with a fine effort to finish second behind a previous winner in Themaxwecan and ahead of another winner in hot favourite New King.

With that experience under his belt, American Graffiti should go one better.

Ami Desbois might be able to make the most of having his sights lowered a shade in the In Play Betting At 188Bet Handicap Chase at Newcastle.

The nine-year-old looked a really exciting prospect for Graeme McPherson after winning his first two starts over fences at Wetherby last season, but lost his form in the second half of the campaign.

Ami Desbois was pulled up in the Dipper at Cheltenham and the Towton on his return to West Yorkshire and connections put him away in the hope that a decent break would turn around his fortunes.

He made an inauspicious return when unseating Kielan Woods in the Rehearsal Chase here in early December, but he has since shaped with much more encouragement when finishing third at Chepstow and fourth at Haydock.

On the latter occasion he looked set to play a major role before faltering late on in the testing conditions and coming back in distance and class on a sounder surface looks the right way to go.

Zoe Davison’s admirable veteran The Game Is A Foot can claim a third win at Lingfield in the Six Nations Rugby At 188Bet Handicap Hurdle.

The veteran will be a teenager this time next year, but has won four of his last six starts overall – including successive triumphs at this venue.

He was sidelined for over a year prior to his recent comeback here and his performance in finishing third was perfectly satisfactory.

The Game Is A Foot will surely strip fitter for that outing and the handicapper#s decision to drop him 4lb looks generous, given he is now 3lb lower than his last winning mark.

SOBOT’S SELECTIONS

LINGFIELD: 1.30 Sorbet, 2.05 Destinee Royale, 2.40 Waikiki Waves, 3.15 The Game Is A Foot, 3.45 Paddy’s Poem, 4.15 Stolberg.

NEWCASTLE: 1.20 Peters Cousin, 1.55 Bialco, 2.30 Ami Desbois, 3.05 Speedy Cargo, 3.35 Mumgos Debut, 4.05 Elvis Mail.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.35 Energia Flavio, 5.10 Dark Alliance, 5.45 Brockey Rise, 6.15 Zapper Cass, 6.45 Tommy Docc, 7.15 JAMES STREET (NAP), 7.45 Union Rose (next best), 8.15 American Graffiti.