Thursday, 7 July 2011

Newmarket July Meeting - Day 2 (Supporting Races)


So close but yet so far was the July Meeting day 1 description with four seconds and a third. No hard luck stories for any of them so I’ve just got to push on and I’d be confident of big runs from all mentioned today.

The handicap division, apart from 2 or three occasions (and they should be winners thanks to Start Right) hasn’t been out best friend so far this year but there’s a really strong fancy in the 1.50 Sprint Handicap.

New Planet's third in the Flying Childers (having come after a blazing listed win) has earned him a tough mark for this season but it’s arguable he’s earned it and he can be forgiven his last placed finish in the Temple Stakes. He was run off his feet against some class acts and he would have needed the outing.

He showed the benefit of that when a good sixth in a race just as competitive handicap last time out and he didn’t appear to get the best of runs when getting himself someway behind early on and not getting the clearest of passages until 2 furlongs out. He’ll need to improve again from that but a 5lbs claim from Dale Swift helps matters and the fact that he’s 6lbs better off with Lexi’s Hero (not to mention also weighted to beat Cocktail Charlie and Swiss Dream) means he has to be given a chance here and he’s likely to be quite a price.

Of the others, the usual suspects make appeal, especially the well weighted Charlie Cocktail, Swiss Diva (although a wide draw isn’t a great help) and Majestic Dubawi has to be of interest after an eye-catching run last time. The red – hot form of the Roger Varian yard will attract many to the claims of Steps but this is a step up on what she’s had to deal with before while Lexi’s Hero looks up against it after a hefty rise.

Just half an hour before, Jeremy Noseda’s Instance can get the day off to a good start. An easy winner on her return at Kempton, she was so highly liked that she had an entry in a valuable sales race (only withdrawn late on) before running again in a hotly contested 6f handicap. The trip proved a little too short for her against the progressive pair of Blanche Dubawi and Swiss Dream but she ran on late and this step up in trip can see her get the better of lightly raced and progressive types in Sir Michael Sotute’s Tuscainia (whose chances may well be indicated by the market giving how she’s been off since October of last year), Listed second Sweetie Time (who gets a 5lbs claim to add to a fair mark) and Hezmah, who did everything effortlessly when taking a big-field 7f Newbury maiden in April.

The rest of the card doesn’t necessarily have any betting opportunities but the two maidens at 3.35 and 4.10, which contain a host of lovely types in both races, are just the kind of races that some love at these meetings.

As far as pointers go (talking about the 3.35), the Al Zarooni string have had great success here (as I write this, the unconsidered 9/1 shot Bridgefield has won the conditions race with ease) so either of their pair has to be considered, with the half-brother to a Grade 1 winner in Sports Section (also Derby entered) looking as if he’s the first string ahead of Dream Ahead’s half-brother Police Force although with Godolphin many of their supposed second strings do win so be careful of making assumptions. Mickadam is a sign of the improvement that Richard Fahey has made as he now runs a Dubawi colt who made $350,000 as a yearling for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, famous for having world class horses with Mike De Kock.
Right Regal looks best of the horses that have run so far, with the booking of Christophe Soumillion a notable sign of how well connections think he should go, and Fiscal, who was sixth in a similarly nice race over C&D on debut and Mark Johnston’s Hurricane Emerald, who was doing his best work at finish when third starting out over this trip at Doncaster last month. Six-figure purchases Net Whizz (for Jeremy Noseda) and Strada Facendo (Luca Cumani) represent leading yards although the Richard Hannon team, who had 4 winners at last year’s meeting and already scored with Harbour Watch yesterday, have Rougemont, who does look bread for middle distances being by Montjeu.  

Many will be all over Thimmar in the 4.10 but there are a host of well bred sorts Royal Peculiar, Risk Assessed and the Freemason Lodge debutant Eagles Peak.


Advice

1 pt win Instance (1.20 Newmarket July)

1 pt each/way New Planet (1.50 Newmarket July)

No comments:

Post a Comment