Morning all,

I have to confess to something, I am a member of the Oisin Murphy Fan Club. What a season he’s had! At the beginning of the year he hadn’t had a British Group 1 winner. Now with one race to go for the season, he's tied at the top of the Group 1 League table with Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori on five wins.

His five wins have come courtesy of three different horses Roaring Lion, Lightning Spear and The Tin Man. The latest of his Group 1 successes came on Champions Day with Roaring Lion. More on that and a couple of winning strategies inside….

Champions Day Is A Roaring Success

When Champions Day was launched seven years ago, plenty questioned it's longevity. There's no doubt it’s now become a rare successful initiative by British horse racing. Its future secured as the rightful end of season finale.

It’s just a shame the flat season doesn’t end next week at Doncaster. Instead of the flat season going out with a bang, with a two-day meeting at Doncaster, including the Group 1 Futuruty. The flat season limps along for another two weeks.

Apart from three days at Newmarket which do play host to a number of two-year-old maiden races. The rest of the flat fare is in truth pretty poor. Roll on the jumps!

The Lion is King

What this time last week looked a sub-standard Queen Elizabeth II Stakes turned into anything but, as Roaring Lion's connections allowed let him take his chance in the race rather than go for the for the Champion Stakes over further.

It was brave move to drop the colt back to a mile and run him on soft ground. Two furlongs from home Century Dream hit the front and it looked like he would hold on for a surprise win.

However, Roaring Lion was making steady headway under strong pressure and finally collared the eventual runner-up in the final few yards. There was still time for I Can Fly to come out of the pack to throw down one final challenge but the line came in time to allow Roaring Lion to end the season the Champion 3-year-old.

Roaring Lion didn’t enjoy the rain softened ground and that turn of foot he showed to win the Irish Champion Stakes couldn’t be produced on this sort of ground. What he did show was plenty of class and heart without those two attributes he wouldn’t have won.

He now heads for stud but there’s still a chance he could have a final swan song at the Breeders Cup. If he does I hope connections go for the turf over 1m 4f rather than the Classic on dirt.

No joy For Laurens or Recoletos

Laurens who looked well in the paddock before the race was probably feeling the effects of a long season. She was disputing the lead two furlongs out but quickly dropped away. The filly stays in training as a 4-year-old.

My fancy in the race Recoletos was travelling like the winner two furlongs out but he didn’t find as much as expected and had to settle for 5th. Maybe he found the ground a little bit too soft.

It looked a good race on paper and the finish didn’t disappoint either.

Jumps Are Back

The National Hunt winter season is about to hit top gear as Cheltenham hosts its’s first jumps meeting of the season. Is it really only six months since the last one? If previous years are any guide a few future jumping stars will be in action.

Whilst all the focus was rightly on Champions Day. It was Welsh Champion Hurdle Day at Ffos Las. The 7lb rise in the weights Silver Streak got for winning the Swinton Hurdle back in May proved no hindrance as he ran out a comfortable three length winner.

It will be interesting to see how the handicapper reacts. If he doesn’t go over the top, there's another nice race in this progressive young hurdler.

Since Silver Streak joined trainer Evan Williams he’s 5 wins from 6 runs 83% +24 6 placed 100%, with form figures of 11121, after a 60+ day lay off. Meanwhile he’s 0 wins from 3 runs 0 places when racing within 60 days. Mind you to be fair to two of those runs did come on soft ground and he looks a far better horse on good or good to soft going at worst.

Evan Williams Last Time Out Handicap Hurdle Winners

I thought I would share some stats on trainer Evan Williams and last time out handicap hurdle winners. Since 2014 the trainer has had 29 winners from 86 runners 34% +115.68 48 A/E 1,68 placed 56%.

He's one of just six trainers to have a 30% win strike rate with last time out winning handicap hurdlers.

Notebook Horse:

This week’s horse for the tracker ran on Saturday at Market Rasen.

Romain De Senam, trained by Paul Nicholls, was having his first run since a summer wind-op. The 5/2 favourite was held up at the back before making steady headway coming to three out. However, his effort flattened out between the last two and he had to settle for 4th at the finish. Beaten less than six lengths, with this run under his belt he will be sharper next time.

Another tilt at next month’s BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham looks likely. A race he finished 5th in last year on unsuitable going. If the ground is no worse than good to soft he looks capable of getting much closer this time around. All four of his career wins have come on good or good to soft.

Monday Racing & Selection

Its flat turf action at Pontefract and Windsor this afternoon. There’s also a jumps card at Plumpton and an evening meeting at Kempton on the polytrack. It’s the latter meeting that provides today’s selection.

Kempton

5:40 – Roy’s Legacy has been a grand servant to connections over the years and, the 9-year-old’s recent 4th placed effort at Lingfield suggests there is another race in him off his present mark. The return to Kempton isn’t a problem as he’s 3 wins from 3 runs over C&D in Class 6 handicaps.

He comes up against a couple of last time out winners in Broughton Excels and Carlovian but he shouldn't be far away if this is a going day. Trainer form is a concern as Shaun Harris has gone 199 days and 37 runners since his last winner.

Roy’s Legacy – 7/1 or bigger

Until next week