Nottingham preview: Mengli Khan to open account

Mengli Khan shaped with bags of promise on debut and looks a worthy favourite to open his account in the 1m maiden at Nottingham today (15.05).

The Hugo Palmer trained colt dwelt at the start and ran green before running on strongly to finish a never nearer 3 3/4 length third of 14 to Mustajeer at Newmarket.

Mengli Khan finished with some purpose once the penny dropped, and was not given a hard time.

A son of Lope De Vega, Mengli Khan was said to be held in high regard and in need of the outing by Palmer beforehand, and it was an effort which suggested the former was a smart prospect who needed keeping firmly onside.

The form of that race also reads well in the context of this contest, and with improvement looking assured it is going to take a very smart newcomer to prevent Mengli Khan landing the spoils.

In the 1m 2f handicap (17.15), Cornborough can gain a deserved success now dropped in class.

The Mark Walford trained gelding is lightly raced for a four-year-old having had just 11 starts, winning once and finishing in the frame on four occasions.

After winning on debut at Redcar on good-to-soft ground, Cornborough went on to finish a fine third in an apprentice handicap at Doncaster last October on soft ground off a mark of 74.

Cornborough is now able to race off 70, having returned to form and finished in the frame in three of his last four starts.

On his penultimate outing the son of Sir Percy travelled strongly but got no luck in-running before staying on well to finish a never nearer 1 3/4 length third of 12 to Woody Bay in a class 4 contest at Haydock.