Sly Man's Horses to Watch — Saturday 5 September 2026
Five names off today's card. Not the headline favourites — the ones with a story the form book half-mentions.
Five worth watching today. Read the rating, read the angle, then make up your own mind. I'm the wiry one in the silks reading form on a tablet while the favourites warm up — here's what's caught my eye.
Captain Cool
Sean Quinlan is firing at 40% over the last 30 days and Candlish has him on a horse running at SR 130 — one tick off its career best of 131. That combination at 11/4 is worth watching very closely.
- Sean Quinlan — 40% strike rate last 30d (4/10)
- SR 130 — near career best (131)
- Jennie Candlish — 22% strike rate last 30d (5/23)
Seren Star is sitting on an SR of 92 — within three points of her career best and top of the entire card at Ascot — and the money is moving in one direction only. Fallon and Haggas don't bring a horse to this meeting in this kind of form without a plan.
- SR 92 — near career best (95)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- SR 92 — top of the card
Marco Botti is landing one in four right now, and Colori Forever is running at a career-best speed figure of 101 with money shortening the price — that trio of signals at 14/1 is too loud to ignore. Ghiani takes the ride for a trainer in the form of his life, and the market is already talking.
- Marco Botti — 26% strike rate last 30d (10/39)
- SR 101 — near career best (100)
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
Harry Skelton at 36% over the last 30 days is the sharpest number in this race, and when the trainer's firing at 32% in the same window, the Skelton yard is simply the operation to be on right now. Notnowlinda runs an SR of 110 — within two points of her career best — so the form is there to match the stable momentum.
- Harry Skelton — 36% strike rate last 30d (13/36)
- Dan Skelton — 32% strike rate last 30d (13/41)
- SR 110 — near career best (112)
Three from three and an SR of 99 sitting just shy of a career best — Victory Ace is running out of reasons to be priced at 11/2. Finley Marsh gets the call for Butler's hottest horse on the card right now, and that combination is not one to file away and forget.
- Won last 3 starts
- SR 99 — near career best (102)
- SR 99 — top of the card