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It's a busy day for racing fans on Thursday with seven meetings across Britain and Ireland including two Group 3s and the latest Racing League offering.

The Group-race action comes from Salisbury via the Tattersalls Sovereign Stakes (16:10) and Leopardstown's Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes (18:05), while the first of seven Racing League contests is at Windsor from 17:00.

They also race on the Flat at Beverley, Wolverhampton (AW) and Ayr as well as over jumps from Tramore.

We have a trio of fancies to follow, including a very lightly-raced 3YO for Roger Varian that could step up once more in the feature race at Salisbury. 

Selections

Embesto @   (16:10, Salisbury)

Shayzann @  (18:05, Leopardstown)

Mobashr @  (19:00, Windsor) 

Improving Embesto may trump older rivals in Sovereign Stakes

The Tattersalls Sovereign Stakes is the Group 3 feature event at Salisbury and offers just shy of £40k to the winner, with a field of six going to post.

They include the likes of Diomed Stakes winner Regal Reality, Sir Michael Stoute's veteran carrying a 3lb penalty here for that June success, as well as John & Thady Gosden's Mighty Ulysses and possible pacesetter Pogo for Charlie Hills, while Chichester is a solid performer and starts for the first time under the care of Charlie Johnston now.

Two younger horses stare them down. Dancing Magic appears to have plenty on his plate but EMBESTO is interesting for Roger Varian and David Egan.

The Roaring Lion colt won his first two at Yarmouth and Doncaster, both over a mile, and comes here off the back of a fine second in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket (1m, good to firm) last month behind impressive front-runner Nostrum.

Placed in the Dewhurst last season, that was Nostrum's comeback and he has since finished second in a Glorious Goodwood Group 3 so the form is solid. 

Embesto is entitled to step forward once more on that effort and he was well clear of everything else at HQ five weeks ago. He potentially doesn't have much to find on these terms against older horses for the first time. 

Murtagh's colt in the mix for Desmond Stakes

Group 3 fare from Ireland too, where it's likely the standard is set by the likes of Royal Ascot handicap winner Villanova Queen for Jessica Harrington and recent Ascot Group 3 third Thornbrook for Joseph O'Brien.

They don't set an insurmountable standard, however, while the likes of Alfred Munnings for Aidan O'Brien does not appear to be crying out for this drop back in trip.

This has the look of being a winnable contest and so Johnny Murtagh will be happy to be rolling the dice with his twice-raced colt SHAYZANN in the Aga Khan silks. 

An eye-catching fourth on debut at Gowran Park (1m, good) in May, he justified cramped odds in good style at Naas (1m, good) on his next start in June, putting away the Dermot Weld-trained Livio Milo – who came out and won a maiden at the Galway Races on his next start. 

He's taking a jump in class now for sure, but Murtagh is a shrewd operator and Ben Coen's partner can go well in this line-up at what should be decent odds. 

Mobashr ready to win again

Racing League action comes from Windsor and there are some competitive heats on the card. 

They include the mile handicap that is race five on the night and it might pay to side with MOBASHR, who runs for trainer Mick Appleby and represents The North here. 

The five-year-old has been consistent of late, typically putting together a sequence of good efforts once this trainer found the key to him.

He won at Doncaster over 7f (good) in early July and has been second, third and second again in three runs since – all over 7f.

Last time at Ascot he came from further back than ideal and was closing in the home straight before settling for second prize behind Pearle D'or, who travelled like a dream into the race and found plenty for pressure when asked by Jason Watson to fend off the runner-up.

The winner went close from 3lb higher in a Racing League event at Chepstow last week and, up just 1lb but with Frederick Larson able to claim 3lb on his back, Mobashr could sparkle now back up at the mile distance which has yielded three of his four career wins to date.