Pharmaceutical and Hakam are both fancied by trainer Charles Hills today and a double on Lingfield polytrack is by no means a forlorn hope of the Lambourn trainer.
Twice-raced Pharmaceutical was expected to follow up his debut success over seven furlongs on this Surrey course in January but came up short over a similar distance on Wolverhampton Tapeta, finishing a two lengths sixth to Harry Hurricane; it was a messy race, disappointing, unexpected outcome.
Jim Crowley rode the Invincible Spirit both times but Charles has booked 3lbs apprentice Cam Hardie for another course and distance in the 3-y-o handicap!
Read into that what you will, but Hardie is a real talent who will have benefited, experience-wise, from a recent three months stint in Dubai; he's attached to the powerful Richard Hannon stable and aims to win the 2015 apprentice championship!
Pharmaceutical has done well these last few weeks and justifies an each–way bet with two places available.
Over the same trip Hakam takes on 80-rated Ventriloquist in the twelve-runner Maiden 3-y-o Stakes, why?
It's surely asking a lot first-up but reports suggest Hakam could be above average and, significantly, Ryan Moore is booked for this Hamdan al Maktoum-owned War Front colt which has been drawn one!
That all sounds "hunky dory" but the best draw can indeed be a "coffin box" with a tardy start; all eyes from the Hills' Faringdon Place camp will be firmly fixed on the dispatch of Hakam.
Ventriloquist has been over-rated by the handicapping system, twice-raced Newholm has achieved little, despite two seconds, and so we simply have to take a chance with Hakam, each-way.
Looking forward to this debut, fascinating, eh?
Kempton stages it's obligatory "Wednesday-nighter" and Hannon should come up trumps with Velociter in the Maiden 3-y-o Stakes over a mile.
There is also a jumping fixture at Catterick and, hopefully, there will be a couple of "beauts" on www.dailyearner.co.uk.
SELECTIONS
11.30 HAKAM
12.30 PHARMACEUTICAL
3.15 VELOCITER