By Will Lefebve

 

How’s this for a roll call of four celebrities past and present featuring on the same day in Sussex by the sea?

Readers may wonder what could link racing personalities Sir Peter O’Sullevan, William Buick and Richard Phillips, besides legendary racehorse Arkle? Well, the simple answer is Brighton races on Tuesday afternoon.

These select names are all, one way or another, listed on a seven-race card beginning at 2.20pm with a nine-runner apprentice handicap (selection Realised).

It is “autism awareness day”, and race titles include the Thank You Anne Duchess of Westminster Handicap, the Thank You Peter O’Sullevan Trust Handicap, the Autism in Racing’s Ambassador Will Buick Handicap, and finally, an Adlestrop raider and previous course winner called Fighting Poet in one of those contests, representing Mr Phillips.

With a bit more luck, the Poet could be on a hat-trick for his “celebrity people impersonator-cum-trainer”, because the syndicate-owned gelding came up trumps here in August before suffering a narrow third-placed defeat back at the Freshfield Road venue last week.

Shrewd Richard now accepts that his six-year-old needs a shorter trip, so it’s back to ten furlongs today, and the booking of rising star claimer Sean Dylan Bowen lends extra weight to my reason for reciting a confident nap vote for Fighting Poet.

This race (3.20) bears the name of the owner of famous 1960s Cheltenham Gold Cup hat-trick hero Arkle, and her yellow and black colours were of course also carried to victory in the 1985 Grand National by Last Suspect.

Globe-trotting reigning dual champion jockey William Buick, whose son suffers from the condition, is not in action at the meeting, but the race which bears his name as ambassador for autism in racing, could see a duel for honours between Hollie Doyle, on Tony Carroll’s consistent Alfred Cove, and Don’t Fight It, who will be doing her best, in the hands of talented Joe Leavy, to secure the prize for her stable in nearby Lewes.

Punters should also train their binoculars on another Carroll raider in the Thank You Peter O’Sullevan Trust Handicap. Interestnpenalties keeps just missing the target, with three successive runner-up spots, and I feel it is his turn to net that elusive second career victory.

Still on a football theme, a hat-trick beckons for Saint Riquier, Ian Williams and Joe Leavy in the 3.50 Thank You Racing Foundation Handicap.

SELECTIONS:- 2.20 Realised, 2.50 Usuario Amigo, 3.20 FIGHTING POET (NAP), 3.50 Saint Riquier, 4.20 Interestnpenalties, 4.50 Otago, 5.20 Alfred Cove/Don’t Fight It (two selections).