Empire can strike Vhagar down, Scooby is the Oxford bet of day
ROMEO EMPIRE looks the value call against outright favourite Vhagar in the opening semi-final of the bet365 Challenge Cup over 650m at Oxford (4.07).
Trained by Patrick Janssens, the selection has a chunk of time to find on respective heat-winning efforts but may also have not just first run potential but the scope to improve significantly on what his first competitive outing in over a month.
Vhagar is not lightly dismissed by any means having won four from four here and the last twice inside the official track record albeit hand-timed but there just looks too much between the principals on the early betting shows in a race which effectively appears a match.
Angie Kibble's Eagles Respect can avenge a recent into final reverse at the hands of Gagas Merry in the second semi at 4.26, a race at the Swindon Produce Stakes champion should dominate from the off.
Jonathan Kay
It is also semi-final time in the BetGoodwin Series Maiden over 450m with the picks being Claire Conley's Jimmy One Shot (3.11), Maxine Locke's Mystical Batman (3.29) and Chris Hamblin's Ernie Webb Mate (3.49) in what should be humdinger in a clash of the two fastest heat winners against Rebel Alaska.
The Oxford action begins with two trial stakes for the bet365 English Puppy Oaks starting over the 450m course and distance next week with Richard Rees's Scooby The Lady (1.57) suggested as the best bet of the day after a luckless effort in a similar event last week.
Michelle Brown's Essex Abbigail finished just ahead of Scooby The Lady seven days ago and that race experience here should stand her in good stead against some unexposed sorts in a subsequent division at 2.16.
So far as the one-off opens go, it should be a case of another week, another victory for Kevin Hutton's 11-timer seeking Start The Engine (2.33) with other picks being Matt Dartnall's marathon debutant Remember Betty (2.52) and Carol Weatherall's Getup Me Izzy (4.44).
Best at Doncaster's early fixture is Jimmy Gaskin's Redbrick Milner (12.46) who will hopefully get better conditions than those which seem to have sapped his stamina the last twice, while Tony Morgan's Tobergal Suzanne (2.03) can double up in a sprint at Valley.
There are two Sunday evening Irish fixtures with Emer Dunn's Emers Ariel (8.43) and Jimmy Anderson's Scary Moon (7.58) making most appeal at Clonmel and Lifford respectively.
Scooby The Lady (nap)
T1 Oxford 1.57
