My Timeform: Well-handicapped Vanguard coming to the boil

Spray The Sea (Timeform rating 84p) Wolverhampton, Thursday 31^st May

Spray The Sea showed fair form in four starts for Bryan Smart in 2017, his best effort coming when runner-up in a seven-furlong minor event at Musselburgh in September. He made the switch to Richard Fahey during the off-season and, having been gelded, showed improved form straight away on his handicap debut/return at Wolverhampton, shaping better than the bare result over the extended mile. Spray The Sea was steadied at the start, not in the best position three furlongs out, but staying on nicely when ridden and doing all his best work at the finish. The fact he was sent off at 25/1 suggests that connections weren’t expecting much, but he showed enough to suggest he is up to winning races from this mark, and is worth backing to do so next time out for a yard that does well with such types. Richard Fahey

Brilliant Vanguard (Timeform rating 100) Epsom, Friday 1^st June

Brilliant Vanguard took several runs to warm up last season, hitting top form in the summer months, completing a hat-trick at Kempton in September and, judged on his latest run, he now appears to be coming to the boil nicely. He finished well held in his first two starts this season, but returned to form when beaten four and a half lengths in the Victoria Cup at Ascot, and confirmed that positive impression at Epsom on Friday. Dropped out at the start, he was hopelessly placed throughout, still travelling well but with plenty to do three furlongs out, and keeping on nicely in the final furlong, never nearer than at the finish. The handicapper has dropped him a further 1 lb for that effort, which leaves him on a mark of 87, now 2 lb below his last winning mark. Brilliant Vanguard is now eligible for lesser handicaps than the ones he has contested this year, too, and just like last season, it would be no surprise were he to rack up a sequence in the coming weeks. Kevin Ryan

Zeyzoun (Timeform rating 83p) Leicester, Monday 5^th June

Zeyzoun is a half-brother to several winners, including the smart pair of Ziyarid and Zayva, both of whom were trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre. Zeyoun himself started off with the same yard, and opened his account in a seven-furlong maiden at Clairefontaine in October on his final start. He was purchased by new connections for €85,000 after, and made an encouraging debut on these shores after eight months off when finishing a good fourth on handicap debut at Leicester on Monday, going with enthusiasm in a first-time hood. The three that finished in front of him all took advantage of a slip in the weights, and given it was a well-run contest, the form has a solid look to it. Zeyzoun was headstrong in France, too, but he remains relatively unexposed, and has the potential to do better still, at seven furlongs or shorter; he is one to bear in mind for a similar event. Chris Wall