Yarmouth 5:18 Result

Diomed Duke is in career-best form, winning his last two starts (form figures 552131) and clearly progressive with the top OR of 80 in the field. He's a course-suited sprinter type by Mayson out of a Dandy Man mare, bred for exactly this 5f test, and races in tongue-tie having found extra with it. Running only 12 days ago and clearly fit, he looks to have more upside than his rivals. Sea Cookie is a threat on RPR/OR terms and has David Egan up, but his form figures show a break in the pattern (-11020) suggesting inconsistency, and he's stepping back after a 24-day gap with the added test of a visor now on. Lil Brother's best form was at 6f/7f rather than this minimum trip, and his recent 74 finish is a concern. Creative Queen for Haggas/Doyle is interesting market-wise but her figure profile (177326) suggests she's flattening out and untested on this softer ground. Fiorella Princess has been running well without winning, but the concern is she's already proven she can't quite land these; a b/f. On a swinging price battle between Diomed Duke and Sea Cookie for favouritism, I side with the in-form, course-and-distance-proven gelding who is taking a step up in class on the back of genuine victories rather than the one who needs to bounce back. The gelding's tongue-tie and record on this track suggest the stable is very confident, and his weight-carrying (138lbs top weight) is fully warranted by current form.