Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece you can read my thoughts on Friday’s action. I preview this afternoon’s big race the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury. Plus, there are selections from Newbury and Newmarket.
Newbury
It’s an open looking St Hugh Stakes with 12 juvenile fillies set to meet the starter. Maylandsea is the best of these on RPR’s. A winner on her racecourse debut at Nottingham. She stepped up on that running when finishing a 1 ¾ length 2nd of 21 to Dramatised in Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot. You can probably draw a line through her last of 6 in a Group 2 at Newmarket as she was far to keen and had no chance of staying 6f. Trainer Michael Bell saddled last year’s winner.
Katey Kontent finished 6th in the Queen Mary but she ran well for a long way before fading inside the final furlong. Looks capable of better and shouldn’t be far away.
Funny Story looked a useful filly when winning a 6f maiden at Newmarket on her racecourse debut last month. Interesting dropped back to 5f as she’s from a speedy family. Open to plenty of improvement and is the pick.
4:10 – Mango Boy had to work hard to get off the mark at the sixth attempt when beating three rivals at Yarmouth (soft) two starts back. Ran too bad to be true when a well beaten 10th of 12 at Newcastle last time. Gets the first time blinkers today and fast ground is a bit of an unknown but his half-sister’s Double Or Bubble and Mix And Mingle both were at their best on quick ground. Needs to bounce back in the first time headgear but if he does, he’ll go close.
Newmarket
Trainer Tom Tate is 3-9 +25 with his runners on the July Course and he saddles two here tonight in Equiano Springs (5:45) and First Dance (6:48). The latter made it 2-2 over C&D when winning here last August and is now races off 5lb lower. Her best run of the season so far came last time when a 1 ½ 4th of 7 over C&D. Looks set for a big run this evening.
Equiano Springs ran well when a 3-length 5th of 20 at York to starts back and wasn’t really suited to a tactical race when 4th of 5 at Pontefract 19-days ago. At his best coming from off a good pace and is now 1lb below last season’s winning mark. James Doyle is an eyecatching jockey booking and if the 8-year-old gets the race run to suit he looks to have a good chance.
As I mentioned earlier in the week, I like jockey Jason Hart. He travels to Newmarket this evening for three rides. The main reason he’s down here looks to be to ride interesting racecourse debutant Midnight Lion for Charlie & Mark Johnston in the 1m juvenile maiden (6:15). He also has two rides for Michael Wigham Dion Baker (7:23) and Coase (7:58).
Dion Baker ran well on two handicap starts for previous trainer Kevin Ryan and he might be capable of better on his first start for his new trainer and for the step up to 1m 2f.
Betting Advice:
Newbury
3:10 – 1pt win – Funny Story – 4/1 @ Bet365
4:10 – 1pt win – Mango Boy – 4/1 @ Bet365 & Paddy Power
Newmarket
5:45 – Equiano Springs – 9/2 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
6:48 – First Dance – 8/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
7:23 – Dion Baker – 4/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John