Hi all,
Bubble Gift landed the each-way money yesterday when finishing third in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Hopefully some of you got on Sammarco in the German Derby. I didn’t put him up as a selection as no bookie had priced up the race, but as I said in yesterday preview, he was open to more improvement for the step up to 1m 4f and he was returned at a rather generous 13/2.
Ayr
4:10 – Black Friday is 3 from 6 over C&D and he went close here in April. His very best form has come on good to soft ground and if the going eases he’ll be there or thereabouts. He won this race last from 3lb lower albeit it was good to soft ground that day. Music Society is another C&D winner and he won at Catterick two starts back. He wasn’t well drawn nor well placed when only 9th of 16 at Pontefract but he did shape like was still in good form and the yard was among the winners at the weekend. He finished ¾ length behind Black Friday in last year’s race and he’s 1lb lower this time around.
Aberama Gold is another previous C&D winner and did finish one place in front of Music Society at Pontefract last time. He’s on a bit of a losing though despite being given a chance by the handicapper and races in the first time visor today.
Lightly raced 4-year-old Quest for Fun improved to win a Thirsk Handicap last time.Both the second and third have gone onto win since. Up 7lb but he’s unexposed and he should go well here. However, the Thirsk race was nicely set up for the hold-up horses and he’s not certain to get a similar pace set up here.
Connections of Adnaan will be hoping the showers stay away from Ayr. The 3-year-old is the least experienced of the field. He wasn’t disgraced when 5th of 22 in last season’s Super Sprint at Newbury before going on to win a Newmarket novice (good to firm) in the hands of today’s jockey Ben Curtis. He hasn’t hit top form on two starts this season but there was more to like about his 6 ¼ length 4th of 9 in the first-time visor at Newmarket 10-days ago. He showed plenty of early dash that day but didn’t stay 7f. The visor has been retained for a return to 6f and I can see him going well on quick ground.
1pt win – Adnaan – 6/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Worcester
5:05 – Tara Niece has returned from a 21 month absence with two runs, and she shaped with enough promise when a 6 lengths 3rd of 10 at Fontwell 36-days ago to think there’s a modest handicap hurdle to be won off her present mark. A winner at Newton Abbot (good) in July 2020 she’s now 1lb lower and weighted to go well if building on her last time out effort, Jockey Tom Bellamy is 6 winners from 20 runners 30% +34 11 placed 55% when combining with trainer Emma Lavelle at Worcester.
1pt win – Tara Niece – 10/1 @ Bet365
Ripon
7:45 – Claim The Crown, a winner at Chelmsford as a juvenile last season was highly tried in pattern company on his next two starts. The 3-year-old looked to have started the season off a stiff looking mark (now 5lb lower) when 7th of 8 at Ascot on his seasonal return but he shaped a little better when a 7 ¾ lengths 15th of 30 to Thesis in Britannia Stakes (Handicap) at Royal Ascot last time. Takes a drop in class, against some mostly exposed older handicappers, and needs the step up to 1m 2f to eke out some improvement which hopefully it can.
1pt win – Claim The Crown – 6/1 @ Bet365
Cheers
John