Sly Man's Horses to Watch — Tuesday 29 September 2026
Nothing shorter than 5/1 makes my book. I'm looking beyond the obvious — but they still have to earn their place.
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.
Manton Bay
The market's already talking — strict-majority money steaming in on Manton Bay with no drifters in sight, and that SR of 106 puts it clear at the top of the Cork card. W. J. Lee's been firing at 16% over the last 30 days, 19 winners from 117 rides, and this is exactly the kind of setup he tends to show up for.
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- SR 106 — top of the card
- W. J. Lee — 16% strike rate last 30d (19/117)
Money has been talking on Parisiac all morning — strict-majority steamer with no drifters pushing back — and when a horse with two prior wins at the track is attracting that kind of interest, it tends to mean something. SR 80 leads the card, Jardine knows this course well, and the 11/2 looks like it won't be around long.
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- 2 prior wins at Ayr
- SR 80 — top of the card
Money is moving on Two Plus Two with no drifters in the market, and that kind of one-way traffic at 13/2 is worth noting. Two wins already at Bath plus Rossa Ryan clicking at 17% over the last 30 days — this one has been spotted.
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- 2 prior wins at Bath
- Rossa Ryan — 17% strike rate last 30d (22/133)
Money is piling in on Count Palatine with no drifters in sight — that kind of one-way market move at 17/2 is worth sitting up for. He's already won at Ayr and tops the card on Saturday Rating at 75, so the punters backing him aren't working blind.
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- 1 prior win at Ayr
- SR 75 — top of the card
The Thames Boatman sits top of the card at SR 78 and the market's already clocked it — strict-majority steamer, no drifters, which means the money isn't scattered. At 6/1, Finley Marsh could be sitting on something the layers haven't priced tightly enough yet.
- Money coming — strict-majority steamer, no drifters
- SR 78 — top of the card