Monday, 11 April 2011

Nemarket Craven Meeting - Free Handicap


3.35 Newmakret
Bet At bluesq.com European Free Handicap (Listed) (Class 1)  (3YO only)
Winner £17,031

Pick: Rerouted (win & each/way)

Elzaam: Successful juvenile campaign, only just being caught by Strong Suit in the Coventry before muddling defeats in conditions contest (behind July Stakes winner) and when caught close home in Horris Hill; Still has potential to do big things this year and should be going close here even off topweight.

Utley: Confirmed decent debut impression made on debut when landing 7f Doncaster maiden in workmanlike style; Chased a very strong pace in good renewal of Prix Jean Luc, coming out of that with credit; Possibly unbalanced by turns of Curchill Downs in Breeders Cup  Juvenile Turf and same at Meydan in UAE Derby, so interesting to see how he fared over straight track here; May be up to mark.

Rerouted: Big improver throughout his juvenile season, graduating from nursery handicaps to winning Tatersall Stakes and coming very respectable fourth behind Dewhurst second Roderic O’Connor in French Group 1; That form obviously entitles him to a big say in race that yard’s attempting to win for a third successive year.

The Paddyman: Bumped into a good one first time out in Lord Of The Stars (seventh in Molecomb Stakes) but different horse next time out when he won by an unextended 8 lengths; Held head high in group company and decent run can be expected here, although may struggled to reverse form with Rerouted on these terms.

Pausanias: Made deep impression when winning at Glorious Goodwood on debut and showed determination to dead – heat with Coventry third on next start; Got going too late when staying into second in the Autumn Stakes, giving impression soft ground didn’t help him; Can run a big race here over trip that should suit. 

Majestic Dubawi: Looked in need of the experience on debut at Newbury in very good maiden, and went onto to confirm that promise by winning maiden and then Group 3 at Ayr; Very fairly weighted for that and holds as good a chance as any.

VERDICT: Hard to remember a better recent renewal, this being a listen handicap but arguably a classic trial in it’s own right, with all the runners having some sort of group form. Utley may be better than his recent form suggests and is sure to be fit, but in a race where the who field is separated by just 10lbs and a care can be made for all, the stable record of REROUTED’S yard, attempting to gain a third successive win in this race, gets him the vote. Elzaam is feared most. 

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