Hi all,
Day two of the Craven Meeting. I have some selections from there and two eyecatchers running at Cheltenham and Beverley.
Newmarket
1:50 – bet365 Handicap (Class 2) – 6f
A typically open 3-year-old handicap with 11 declared to go to post.
Heading the bookies early bird list is Breath Of Air trained by Charlie Hills and ridden by Ryan Moore. Just the three starts but he improved for each start last season. Ending the season with a third placed effort in Listed race at Doncaster. Prior to that had put racecourse experience to good use when beating recent Greenham winner Mohaather at Newbury. That win came on good to soft and even with overnight watering it will be different underfoot conditions. Could easily win this but at the prices I can leave him.
The filly Chapelli showed she had trained on from two to three when second at Pontefract 8-days ago. Needs to improve again to win though.
Yousani represents Kevin Ryan who is having his first run since a wind-op and a gelding operation. Could well improve further for those two procedures but probably does need to. Not raced for 217-days but did win his first starts as a juvenile, so should be fit enough.
Richard Hannon saddles a pair of contenders in Moyasser & Naughty Rascal. The latter won two of his first three starts but disappointed on his nursery debut when 9th of 14 at Newbury. He wanted to go quicker than his jockey in the early stages of the race and would probably have preferred to have led. After the race his trainer opined that he also wanted suited by the rain softened ground. Moyasser is another who has had a wind-op over the winter. The colt won at Chelmsford on his third start as a juvenile and improved to finish close-up in two valuable nursery handicaps on his last two starts of 2018. Both those runs came on good to firm so he should be fine on the ground. Up 10lb without winning either of his last two starts but the top-weight remains on a competitive mark.
Moyasser – 13/2 @ Bet365
3:00 – Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) – 6f
Brando bids for a hat trick in the race and he has 6lb in hand of his rivals on official ratings. With three who like to get on with it he could get the race run to suit. His chance is clear for all to see.
Dreamfield made an impressive seasonal reappearance at Ascot last season at Ascot. That win came after a 567-day break, so he clearly goes well fresh. He followed that performance up when finishing runner-up in the Wokingham Handicap, before finding Group 1 company a bit hot in the July Cup. He has to be respected on his best form of 2018.
Gifted Master won a valuable C&D handicap here last May and then went onto win the Stewards Cup at Goodwood later in the season. He really like the Rowley course having won five of his nine runs and finishing runner-up on two other occasions. No concerns with quick ground for him either as he’s won six of his thirteen starts on good to firm. At his best when able to lead. He probably won’t get an uncontested lead here, with Sir Thomas Gresham and possibly Dreamfield both liking to be up there, but if he does, he’s a hard horse to pass. Has the benefit of run at Meydan which should have blown the cobwebs away!
Gifted Master – 11/2 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
5:20 – The Sir Michael Stoute trained Karnavaal is plenty short enough in the betting at around 4/1. The son of Dubawi shaped with real promise when 4th of 14 here back in September before winning a Chelmsford novice race over 7f the following month. A win as a juvenile was a bonus as he’s bred to get `1m 2f as three-year-old and his sire’s progeny often improve for going 1m 2f+ in their second seasons.
The colt has been given a handicap mark of 82 which looks more than workable given he should progress further when going over a longer trip. Steps up to a mile today but a bit further could well be optimum trip as the season progresses.
Karnavaal – 4/1 – Gen
Cheltenham
4:25 – First Assignment – Looked a progressive staying handicap hurdler in the autumn when winning twice here in Oct/Nov on good ground. The 6-year-old then went on to finish 3rd to Paisley Park, beaten less than 2 lengths at Haydock. Has plenty to find with Tobefair on their running in the Pertemps Series Final here last month but the better ground will suit him more today and a conditional jockey takes off a handy 7lb.
First Assignment – 15/2 @ Bet365 or 7/1 – Gen
Previous Eyecatchers Running Today
Cheltenham
3:15 – Jenkins – 12/1 @ William Hill & Ladbrokes – Didn’t look a natural over fences. Returns to hurdling and the blinkers that heralded a return to form early in 2018 replace cheekpieces he’s been wearing on his last two starts. Each way claims.
Beverley
4:00 – City Tour – 6/1 @ Bet365 or 11/2 @ William Hill & Coral – I will be disappointed if the 3-year-old can’t defy his 3lb rise in the ratings for his recent Musselburgh success. Much better drawn today and has a great chance on going he won on last time.
Cheers
John