Horses In Focus tips for Thursday: Eye-catchers chosen by Timeform experts

What is a Horse In Focus?

Every performance in Britain and Ireland is closely scrutinised by the expert race readers at Timeform whose tasks include identifying horses that shaped better than the result. Some of these eye-catchers will be awarded the Horse In Focus Flag.

A Horse In Focus comes in many forms, from a promising maiden winner to a veteran handicapper, but the common denominator is the same: the way the horse shaped suggests it’s likely to be something to back next time.

All of the day's Horses In Focus can be found within this article, which also includes a best bet selected by a member of the Timeform Sporting Life team.

The Timeform Flags also appear on the Racecards + section, available for Sporting Life Plus members, on Sporting Life racecards.

Thursday's Horses In Focus

For more on each horse, logged-in readers can head to today's racecards and click the Horse In Focus dropdown.

Ascot

Afjan – 14:30

Naval Light – 14:30

Sing Us A Song – 15:05

Merchant – 15:05

Serenity Prayer – 15:40

Catalina Delcaprio – 15:40

Lady Vivian – 15:40

Trawlerman – 16:20

Raafedd – 17:00

The Lost King – 17:00

King Casper – 17:00

Shameful – 17:00

Afentiko – 17:00

Fearnot – 17:00

Brave Mission – 17:00

Mr Chaplin – 17:00

Jackknife – 17:35

Gleneagle Bay – 18:10

Akkadian Thunder – 18:10

Never So Brave – 18:10

Chelmsford

Indalo – 16:35

Lingfield

Moutai – 19:10

Leopardstown

Tilani – 17:53

Sir Jeremy – 18:28

Thursday's Best Bet

TRAWLERMAN - 16:20 Royal Ascot

The retirement of Kyprios really does leave the top-level staying division wide open and, having finished second to that aforementioned top-class colt in this race last year, TRAWLERMAN looks the obvious answer.

He wasn't at his best in the Dubai Gold Cup on his return at Meydan in April, but he resumed winning ways in straightforward fashion in the Henry II Stakes at Sandown last month, kicking on over two furlongs out and easily drawing clear in the final furlong.

Trawlerman proved much too good for the reopposing Coltrane on that occasion and, with no problem returning to this much longer trip, he stands out as the one to beat on his excellent second 12 months ago.

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