* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Saturday
13:15 at Newmarket – Bickerstaffe
This is one of the smallest fields all weekend and the selection will only be priced up in the region of 3/1, but as a progressive young sprinter I didn’t want to miss him on his next outing with fast conditions in his favour. Creative Force will almost certainly start market leader for this following his emphatic success last time out over the course and distance when he lengthened impressively up the final climb, but he will need another significant step forward here trying to give 5lbs to the market leader.
Kevin Ryan’s charge was, if anything, an even more emphatic winner of a three-year-old handicap at Pontefract when he came from what looked an impossible position at halfway to fly up the home stretch and catch Popmaster in the final stride. A 4lbs penalty was just about right and this equally stiff track will play to Bickerstaffe’s strengths and Ryan rarely sends one down south unless they have a genuine chance.
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15:40 at Newmarket – Legion Of Honour (E/W)
Godolphin and Aidan O’Brien, not surprisingly, dominate this opening classic of the season, but represented by six of the 15 players here does tend to suggest that neither of those titanic training set-ups has a superstar in the mile division. Of that sextet, Wembley is the one I like best.
He has a lovely smooth action which should be well suited to this fast ground and can reverse National Stakes form with Thunder Moon with the searching mile set to suit him much better than his fellow Irish raider. However, time and time again the 2,000 Guineas has thrown up big priced placed horses and I am going to go hugely left of centre by suggesting that the Roger Varian runner, Legion Of Honour, takes a massive step forward here.
He was hugely disappointing last time out when second in a Listed race at Newcastle, but they went a stop-start place that day and he will be much better suited to an out and out gallop over this eight furlongs. Any of the forecast showers certainly won’t hinder his chance here and although he needs to find 14lbs plus to trouble the best of these on official figures, I think he is capable of taking a nice step forward and is the each-way play here to do just that.
15:50 at Thirsk – Freedom Flyer
It will be interesting to see if the hat-trick seeking Reckless Endeavour can transfer his all-weather form from Newcastle and Lingfield Park back onto the turf. He won a handicap on deep ground at Catterick last year off 65, but now races off a mark of 78 on a much quicker surface following those two sand wins.
Freedom Flyer looked a shade unlucky last time out over the course and distance when well fancied. He ran with the choke out through the first two furlongs and was briefly taped for toe two and a half furlongs out. But as soon as James Sullivan got him properly organised, the lightly raced four-year-old lengthened in impressive fashion to finish a rapidly closing length and three quarters third to Lady Nectar.
What is highly surprising is that the handicapper has actually dropped him a pound for that run and with this being only the sixth start of his career I think that it is fair to assume that there is plenty more to come from this son of Invincible Spirit.
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Sunday
14:25 at Newmarket – Sea Karats
One of the more significant Oaks’ trials down through the years and the reports from Newmarket have been that Godolphin’s A’Shaari has been working nicely at home. Despite being keen both going to post and in the race proper, she readily saw off her nine rivals in a novice at Newmarket last autumn and the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th have all gone on to win since although the last of those has only been in very moderate company.
Still, she and indeed the winner here may have to be quite smart and apparently that is what the scopey selection, Sea Karats, had been showing at home before her debut at Newbury last month. In a slowly run race over a mile and a quarter this beautifully bred daughter of Sea The Stars was always at the back of the pack, green and pulling through the first three furlongs.
It was a race that basically developed into a two and a half furlong sprint and instead of pulling wide initially, the Doyler decided to sit in the pack. As a result he briefly had nowhere to go and only belatedly pulled his mount out at the distance. Finishing well, she would definitely have won granted a clear passage and although they all finished in a heap she looks the value over the Godolphin filly.
15:40 at Newmarket – Vadream (E/W)
I am lucky to have a really good contact at Ballydoyle and when I asked him about Santa Barbara his exact words were ‘she could be a wonder filly’. When I asked him to go into more depth he told me that she had been galloping all over her work companions this spring, but has never really been asked a question to go about her business.
Obviously the weight of money ante-post is hugely significant and as such she is the most likely winner and promises, via her breeding, to be better over much further than a mile. But the basic fact is that she makes the market for all of her rivals and an each-way play is the way to go. Even if she does turn out to be a super filly we still have three places to play for.
I thought Statement was desperately unlucky not to win the Fred Darling on the nod and her conqueror Alcohol Free has to be a potential non stayer over the Rowley Mile. The eye catcher that day was the third home and my selection, Vadream. Running in last place for five and a half of the seven furlongs and very free for the first quarter mile, Jamie Spencer gave her a lovely educational ride here, taking her to the rails before finishing with a flourish, after taking a bit of time find her stride and pick up, to finish third.
Her sire, Brazen Beau’s best stock have proven best up to 7f, but the dam, Her Honour is by Shamardal and promises to add the requisite stamina needed to get a mile and her run style certainly suggests she needs the extra furlong.
PJ’s weekend tips
Saturday
13:15 at Newmarket – Bickerstaffe
15:40 at Newmarket – Legion Of Honour (E/W)
15:50 at Thirsk – Freedom Flyer
Sunday
14:25 at Newmarket – Sea Karats
15:40 at Newmarket – Vadream (E/W)
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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