Horse Racing: Hold bookies to a Royale Ransom . .

The Clive Cox-trained tyro will have heartened connections since making a striking debut over this course and distance in September, and can take her game to the next level here.

Royale Ransom was bought for £60,000 in April and began her racing life with a solid fifth at the Esher circuit.

Although disappointing at Salisbury, Cox will have been buoyed by her recent third in a tight Kempton maiden, during which she galloped on strongly once the game was up.

Royale Ransom unsurprisingly returns to seven furlongs on her fourth career outing and would be a real danger if in a similar frame of mind.

It would be a little confusing if she did not prove a deal better than her inaugural mark of 65 this winter.

Piranha is also respected in the Friends Life Nursery 30 minutes later. Ed Dunlop’s young gun has admittedly been highly tried this year, but is twice a scorer over five furlongs.

Things went pear-shaped over course and distance last month, but that was perhaps down to her head-strong tendencies wearing first-time blinkers.

Dunlop has now discounted the head-gear, while the handicapper has finally given her a bit of breathing space.

Playing With Fire can gain a richly deserved victory in the victorchandler.com Mares’ Handicap Chase at Hereford.

The Robin Dickin-trained seven-year-old is now a pretty streetwise individual, having competed six times over fences, and may still have a little more to give off a mark of 110.

She has never finished outside the first three since being sent chasing, winning once, and realistically had little chance against the upwardly-mobile Balzaccio at Huntingdon last month. Despite riding high in the weights here, Playing With Fire should be far happier competing in handicap company than when last sighted in a novice chase.

Henry Daly’s horses are quietly going about their business this autumn, with Sunsetten taken to do the business in the Herefordshire Growing Point Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.