Thursday's UK placepots can be played via Tix at Ayr, Bath, Chelmsford, Exeter & Southwell.

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A few more pointers can be found in these articles:

https://www.geegeez.co.uk/exotic-betting-multi-race-bets-part-1/

https://www.geegeez.co.uk/exotic-betting-multi-race-bets-part-2/

Today's pools

Today's UK meetings, pools and minimum guarantees are as follows...

...from which I'm heading to Bath for the biggest pot and heavy ground for six races, starting with...

Leg 1 @ 1.25, a 10-runner, Class 6, 3yo+ handicap over 2m1f...

Al Sayah might have only been 8th of 13 here last time out, but that was over 1m6f at Class 2 and she had won her previous outing over this class, course and distance by some 8.5 lengths. Russian Rumour was a heavy ground runner-up at Ffos Las last time out and Made For You has made the frame in his last two on the Flat and his last six overall.

Calshot Spit's last nine runs have finished 222341211 (22211 on the Flat) and won here over course and distance on his last Flat outing. Grey Owl is 2313 over his last four and both Tigerten and Tarbat Ness come here off the back of runner-up finishes; the former having been just over three lengths behind Calshot Spit.

Calshot Spit has no previous heavy ground form, but was a runner-up on his sole effort on soft, whilst Russian Rumour, Tigerten and Tarbat Ness have all made the frame on heavy and all four catch the eye to a degree on Instant Expert...

... as does Grey Owl and possibly Al Sayah/Made For You.

I'm happy to take a chance on (5) Calshot Spit 'getting' the ground, as he ticks all the other boxes and if I take him, then I probably need to take (9) Tigerten as the latter is now better off at the weights and was only 3 lengths down last time out. And for a backup, I'm taking perennial placer (but non-winner) and bottom weight (10) Tarbat Ness to edge out the likes of Russian Rumour et al.

Leg 2 @ 2.00, an 8-runner, Class 4, 2yo novice stakes over 5f...

(7) Rory Rocket's runner-up defeat by a length and a quarter on debut sets the form standard here, although (4) Think Of A Name was also a runner-up on the second of his three outings. Debutant (1) Mini Mac comes from a yard with a decent record here at Bath...

..and in the lack of any real compelling data, I'll take these three here.

Leg 3 @ 2.35, an 8-runner, Class 6, 3yo+ handicap over 5f...

Firenze Rosa has been disappointingly well beaten in her last two races (the latest here over 5½f) on quicker ground since she won on soft ground at Brighton in July. Louis Treize has been there or thereabouts without winning of late, finishing 3233 in his last four whilst Sisters In The Sky was third of ten over this track/trip on heavy ground last time out, just nine days ago and if recent form was the only thing we looked at, it'd be hard to case a case for the rest of the field!

That said, if we extend recent to two years, we're still looking at the same trio of horses...

The draw stats suggest that horses can make the frame from anywhere, even if a low draw is more helpful for winners...

...and in a poor looking contest, I'm happy to side with the three highlighted runners (1) Sisters In The Sky, (2) Firenze Rosa & (4) Louis Treize

Leg 4 @ 3.10, a 9-runner, 3yo+ Listed race over 1m6f...

Entrancement and Loughville both won last time out, but are up two and three classes respectively, but both are clearly in good nick. Fairy Glen is 1132 in her last four, the 3yo Forest Fairy won the Listed Cheshire Oaks back in May before finding group races a little warm for her and the interesting one on the card is Nicky Henderson's Marie Rock who won nine and placed once from twenty NHF outings including 2 wins at Gr1, 2 at Gr2 and 2 at Listed class. She now makes just a second appearance on the Flat after finishing less than four lengths off the pace in the Group 3 Bronte Cup at York back in May.

Loughville and Entrancement are the mudlarks here...

...with the atter having won both heavy ground starts to date, including over this trip at Goodwood last time out. The pace stats for similar races suggest an average pace score of around 2.00 might be the way forward here, putting these runners in the spotlight...

...and on the above sets of data allied with form, I'm struggling to overlook Loughville and Entrancement. The issue here is that I'm also very interested in Forest Fairy based on the Cheshire Oaks, Fairy Glen who is best off at the weights and on form after an excellent run at Longchamp last time out and the fly in the ointment Marie's Rock. She's probably using this as a warm-up for her next hurdling campaign, but if she runs like she did at York recently, then she could could really upset the applecart.

I'm very aware of the possibilities of taking three from this five here and not finding a placer, so I'm going to fudge it and have them all ie (2) Entrancement, (5) Loughville, (6) Marie's Rock, (8) Forest Fairy & (9) Fairy Glen in a belts and braces approach.

Leg 5 @ 3.45, a 5-runner, Class 5, 2yo novice stakes over 1m2f...

Marbush was only beaten by a length and a half on debut in a Class 2 race, finished third next time out and then opened his account at the third time of asking when two lengths clear over a mile at Kempton last time out.

That run probably sets the standard here, but King Kernow was a two-length runner-up over a mile here at Bath four weeks ago, whilst Tap Dancer was third in the second division of the same race, having also finished third on her previous run (Class 2, soft ground) at Goodwood.

Only five of the original 8 runners are still down to race here and the trio above are the most likely to succeed based on what little we have to go on. I have to take (2) Marbush on his progressive form and I think that (8) Tap Dancer edges out King Kernow on consistency, her soft ground result and the 5lbs fillies allowance.

Leg 6 @ 4.20, a 7-runner, Class 6, 3yo handicap over 1m2f...

The obvious starting point here is top-weight Red Cloud, who has yet to finish outside of the first two home in all six handicap runs finishing 221221 and comes here off the back of a five length win at Lingfield. Harlington was third here over 1m3½f four weeks ago before finally getting off the mark (10th attempt) with a 1.5 length win over 1m1½f at Wolverhampton last time out.

I'd be surprised if this pair weren't the first two home today, although Make A Scene had finished 2233 in four races prior to a disappointing display at Wolverhampton last time out, where she failed to break cleanly from the stalls and didn't see the 1m4f trip out. She's not a good starter if truth be told, but hopefully first-time cheekpieces will help and she could be the main challenger to Red Cloud & Harlington based on recent form.

Again, we've no heavy ground runs to look back on, but Red Cloud was only beaten by half a length on his sole soft ground run two starts ago, headed late on over 1m3½f at Windsor, so that could well tick another box for him down in trip.

To be honest, most of this field are much of a muchness and I'm just going to go with my 'gut' and form and take the original duo of LTO winners, (1) Red Cloud & (5) Harlington.

*

All of which gives me...

Leg 1: (5) Calshot Spit, (9) Tigerten & (10) Tarbat Ness

Leg 2: (1) Mini Mac, (4) Think Of A Name & (7) Rory Rocket

Leg 3: (1) Sisters In The Sky, (2) Firenze Rosa & (4) Louis Treize

Leg 4: (2) Entrancement, (5) Loughville, (6) Marie's Rock, (8) Forest Fairy & (9) Fairy Glen

Leg 5: (2) Marbush & (8) Tap Dancer

Leg 6: (1) Red Cloud & (5) Harlington

...and here's how I'd play them, whilst trying to stay close to a nominal £20 total stake...

As ever, Good Luck!
(I might need it. Based on current form; I think I'm headed for a Class 6 seller!)

Chris