Racing: Time to be sweet on Hawksmoor

Roger Varian: Saddles Intilaaq in the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes. Picture: Getty

While a few of these bring stronger claims to the table in terms of form, trainer Hugo Palmer is rapidly gaining a deserved reputation for knowing the time of day and this daughter of Azamour is held in the right sort of regard.

Seen just the once, she created quite an impression in sweeping to victory on the all-weather at Kempton.

Although that had the look of just an ordinary event overall, it is worth nothing she was well clear of runner-up Dutch Heiress, who has won nicely since.

Open to any amount of progress, Group One engagements will be the order of the day if all goes to plan.

Franklin D merits a mention at HQ in the Royal British Legion Handicap.

Connections have had to be patient with this American-bred colt, who has run just twice since his making his debut in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last year won by Richard Pankhurst.

His second run came at Chelmsford in April and he put the experience to good use when shedding his maiden tag at Sandown towards the end of last month.

He starts life in handicap company off 89 and it will be a surprise if he does not prove a bit better than that.

Rembrandt Van Rijn is a really likeable type from the David Lanigan yard and can stretch his unbeaten run this season to four in the Betfred Goals Galore Handicap at Haydock. A gelding operation appears to have been the making of him and the official half-length verdict in his latest success at Sandown only tells part of the story, as he had to wait and weave in the straight and would have been a very unlucky loser.

That was off an 8lb higher mark than when impressing at Chester and he has 6lb more to shoulder this time, as the handicapper seeks to end his winning streak.

We might not have seen the absolute limit of his abilities yet, though.

It is very hard to get away from the chance of Intilaaq in the Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes. The Roger Varian-trained colt created an impression and a half when winning his maiden at Newbury, so much so that he was allowed to take his chance in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

A break after that failed to go to plan, but the son Dynaformer showed the engine was still intact when staying on with some authority to dismiss the also-useful Consort back at Newbury in a Listed contest.

Any rain in the area would not go amiss and he remains an exciting prospect.

Perfect Words hinted at a return to form at Wetherby last month and should come into the reckoning in the Gas Sure & James Frew Handicap at Ayr.

Milky Way looked far from straightforward at Epsom, but Gary Moore can be trusted to have him back on an even keel for the Bet And Watch At titanbet.co.uk Handicap.

Obsidian rarely fails to run his race at a fair level and might still have a wee bit more to offer in the Pinnacle Racing Syndicate Shares Available Now Handicap at Redcar.

Shergar Cup day at Ascot is never the most fertile terrain for punters, but it could pay to keep Justice Day on-side in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Dash.

David Elsworth’s four-year-old has not really kicked on from a pleasing second in the Palace House back in May, but he is a class animal on his day and was a little unfortunate when his path was blocked at Goodwood last week.