Shameless piece of self-promotion alert. In Saturday’s live ITV races piece we flagged up half of the winners at The Shergar Cup, at very decent odds, AND a 6/1 chance at Haydock Park. Not too shabby ….

So – it’s with the express knowledge that the NAP on Monday 14 August will now probably fall asleep in the stalls that we venture forth once more.

The Sunbury-on-Thames venue stages an attractive all-weather card on Monday afternoon, August 14th, 2.10pm through until 5pm. Six races in total.

For the sporting nap we’re going to the lucky last – a 4-yr-old gelding trained by William Knight, and ridden by red-hot jock Jim Crowley. BUNKER BAY is a pretty consistent sort who ran very well last time at Sandown 19 days ago. That was on the turf over 1m 6f, but that stiff finish is very exacting. He was finishing with purpose too – a great sign.

Every hope then that this distance of 2m on a flat, galloping Polytrack surface is within compass. Though ‘Bay’ gets an extra pound, up to 72, from the ever-watchful handicapper for his fine Esher effort, this son of strong mid-distance stayer Australia looks on the improve to me.

There’s some Sea The Stars influence on the dam’s side, and though he wasn’t asked to stretch out quite this far I certainly wouldn’t have put it past that great champion. He just seemed to do whatever was necessary to get the job done.

This is a Class 5 contest but it was a grade higher at Sandown – and he’s been narrowly pipped in a Class 4 at Windsor in Oct ’22, off a mark of 68.

He’s got plenty going for him, not least that Crowley booking. Jim did the business for us at Haydock on Saturday with Kathab, and is generally in cracking order. Remember him winning the King George for us too!

Now we’re paying 4 places each-way here, so though I’m more than happy to NAP what for me is a value price, I’d put no-one off taking advantage of those terms.