Timeform Notebook: Red Devil to score next time

Marwan Koukash's Salford Red Devil shaped well on debut.

Timeform pick out a horse that caught the eye at Chester last week and hopefully won't be long in breaking his maiden...

The Tom Dascombe yard were firing on all cylinders at Chester last week and Fine 'N Dandy, a strong, powerful juvenile making his second start, was a particularly impressive winner, displaying speed in abundance to break from an advantageous draw and blitz his rivals in remarkable fashion. That performance was arguably the best we have seen from a two-year-old this season and dreams of Royal Ascot success would not appear to be too fanciful on the back of such a display. Understandably, the eight-length winner attracted most of the post-race attention, but it would be a mistake to overlook the obvious promise of the third-placed horse, Salford Red Devil, and he is this week's Notebook horse.

Making his racecourse debut, Salford Red Devil was handed a formidable task having to break from the widest stall. Slowly away, he was trapped wide in the early stages and had yet to pass a rival as they swung for home. However, upon straightening, Salford Red Devil appeared to get the hang of things, picking off rivals and snatching third on the line, despite being subject to a considerate ride on his first start.

There were plenty of positives to take from such an encouraging debut and Salford Red Devil, trained by the in-form Richard Fahey, looks sure to benefit from the experience. He looks like the type to make above-average improvement on his next start and is worth keeping an eye on.

Timeform Notebook:
Loving Spirit was in action at Ascot on Saturday, competing in the ultra-competitive Victoria Cup, and, although failing to finish in the money, he produced a promising if somewhat unlucky effort in eighth. Having travelled as well as anything, Loving Spirit was just starting to make headway when he found trouble with a couple of furlongs left to run. Though sticking on gallantly once in the clear, the leaders had flown and Loving Spirit never looked like reeling them in. He certainly caught the eye, however, justifying our decision to include him in the Notebook, and a step up in trip to contest the Hunt Cup at the Royal Meeting could pay dividends. 

Jamaican Bolt - Of interest in five-furlong handicaps with cut in the ground.
Mombasa - Of interest in handicaps, particularly if stepped up to one and a half miles.
Loving Spirit - One to note in seven furlong or one-mile handicaps.
Border Legend - Remains unexposed and one to bear in mind for handicaps.
Galileo Rock - A strong stayer who can make an impact at Group level when the emphasis is on stamina.
Pether's Moon - An unexposed, progressive three-year-old that started life in handicaps on a good mark.
Salford Red Devil - Plenty of promise on debut and well up to winning a maiden.

Get open access to Timeform data for just 2.50 a day with Timeform Race Passes. It's like a Form Book, Black Book & Race Card all in one! Find Out More!