'We think a lot of him' - who fancies their chances of landing the Beverley Bullet?

We see plenty of the same faces taking aim at the Beverley Bullet year after year and the latest running is no different as returning champion Tis Marvellous is back for more.

Tis Marvellous' history with the Beverley Bullet dates back to 2019. Clive Cox's speedball returned an unlucky-in-running fifth that day but he returned to lower the course record in 2021.

You can bank on nine-year-old Tis Marvellous' campaign centring around a Beverley Bullet hat-trick bid after he doubled up in 2022.

Silky Wilkie heads the younger challenge two days after competing in the Racing League at Newcastle on Thursday evening.

Despite its handicap status, that was a better race than this and his fourth-placed finish off top weight was a solid effort. The concern is whether that leaves a mark, although Silky Wilkie has twice performed well after sharp five-day turnarounds.

The most progressive performer in the line-up is Apollo One, who deserves a change of fortunes. The five-year-old was second in Goodwood's 27-runner Stewards' Cup and again in Royal Ascot's Wokingham Stakes, another 27-runner heat, despite winning his group in both.

Apollo One drops to the minimum trip for the first time this campaign. That would be a plausible concern at one of the speed tracks where he's been placed over 6f this season, such as Goodwood and Epsom, but Beverley provides a much stiffer test. Granted a truly run race, redemption awaits this versatile sprinter.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Marvellous career to end

Tis Marvellous is out to win the sprint feature for a remarkable third consecutive year after which he will head into deserved retirement, his trainer Clive Cox said.

The nine-year-old is the winner of nine races, including the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte as a juvenile in 2016. Rated 113 in his pomp in 2022, Tis Marvellous has already been found a new home by owners Julie Deadman and Stephen Barrow.

Cox said: "Tis Marvellous has been a fantastic horse for us but his form has waned a bit this year, so we have decided to give him one more crack at this and then retire him. It's a curtain call on a great career, including breaking the track record at Beverley when he first won the Bullet two years ago."

What they say

Mike Prince, spokesman for Middleham Park Racing, part-owners of Silky Wilkie
He finished fourth at the Racing League meeting at Newcastle and as far as I know the plan is to run him back. The stiff five will suit him and he's the highest rated in the race. It's a while since we won the Bullet with Exceptional Art in 2009, so it would be nice to win it again.

Clive Cox, trainer of Kerdos
He ran a super race in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes at Royal Ascot and then performed with credit when up in class for a Group 2 at Goodwood. We think a lot of him and he should go well down in class.
Reporting by David Milnes

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