*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules
1 – TREASURE (Ralph Beckett)
Down through the years Ralph Beckett has shown that he has a special way with fillies and Treasure could live up to her name as a valuable asset for the Old Coach Road handler. Nottingham has been his first port of call for some stable stars and this daughter of Mastercraftsman easily swept aside her six rivals to the tune of two and a quarter lengths and more on her only juvenile start there. At a big price for the Epsom Oaks she could yet be a dark filly to emerge for that Classic. She is entered in the Lingfield Oaks’ Trial on Saturday.
2 – BARD OF AVON (Joseph O’Brien)
Look close and deep and yee shall find. All eyes seemed to be focussed on Ocean of Dreams when Aiden’s charge fired home over a mile in a back-end maiden at Leopardstown last season. In fifth spot was this son of Galileo, Bard Of Avon, who was slowly away and always in rear. It was was only when Mikey Sheehy brought him out wide from two furlongs out that his partner lengthened and stayed on so powerfully that he must have made up fully 12 lengths down the home stretch to finish a creditable eight and a half lengths off the winner. Out of a Fastnet Rock mare that was Group class in Australia, it will be interesting to see how Joseph campaigns him. It shows how highly he is rated that he holds an Irish Derby entry and may be ultimately be a St Leger type.
3 – BENNETOT (David O’Meara)
Beaten only some three lengths behind the classy The Revenant in a Listed race at Saint Cloud a year ago, Bennetot has since been transferred from Edouard Montfort to David O’Meara and been unplaced on all three starts in the UK off marks of 97 (twice) and 94. His last run at Newbury can be confidently excused as he got a heavy bump at the start and that seemed to set him alight. I suspect he will get a nice drop in the weights again and when running in a 0-90, he could well be much more acclimatised. The other pertinent fact is that all three races he has run in have been slowly run. A tough mile with an end-to-end gallop could see him step forward and run well at a big price. Keep an eye out for him up north from this yard.
4 – COURAGE MON AMI (John and Thady Gosden)
The former champ Kyprios may well have made a successful comeback in the Vintage Crop Stakes, but looks short enough in the Ascot Gold Cup market now and last year’s winner Courage Mon Ami still has a lot more to offer. He needed every single yard of the 2m 4f trip 12 months ago and there were excuses on his subsequent starts in the Goodwood Cup (Quickthorn given too much leeway) and the Lonsdale Cup (two miles too sharp on fast ground). He is reported to have matured plenty through the winter and it is worth remembering he has only had six career starts and the best is yet to come.
5 – DEAKIN (Joseph O’Brien)
Joseph O’Brien’s charge Deakin has to be on our short list as a staying handicapper to follow and I fancy he could develop into a Group class stayer as we go through this campaign. He graduated from a maiden success to trounce his rivals off a rating of 83 in a handicap and could develop into an Ebor horse after taking in something like the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Ascot. Be sure to keep him in the right side because as a son of the stamina laden Australia, the further he goes the better he could become.
6 – GEORGIE WOOSTER (Tim Easterby)
When the Racing Post describes two runs back to back with the last word being ‘eyecatcher’ then you know a horse has plenty more to give in the near future. Georgie Wooster, a son of Inns of Court, has twice run well in a novice and maiden this year over 7f finishing a never nearer eighth and sixth respectively under a ‘considerate’ ride in the final three furlongs. I suspect the shrewd Mr Easterby has a mid-range handicap in mind over the coming weeks. As long as there is some juice in the going description, he could be a big market mover in a handicap.
7 – NEWFANGLED (Jonathan Portman)
Away from the limelight of the top handicappers and Group horses, this son of New Bay is a more of a short-term pick following a hugely eye catching run at Bath on Monday May 6th. On fairly testing ground over a mile on his sixth career start, Newfangled was badly outpaced as the field made their way down the far side of the Somerset track. Panning towards the stands’ side in the home straight, he took a while to get into top gear and without coming under maximum pressure I estimated he made up fully 10 lengths from the three furlong pole to be beaten a closing six and a half lengths in fourth. His breeding suggests 1m 2f or possibly 1m 4f will be obtainable and off a mark of just 54, the only way is up when he gets a greater test of stamina.
8 – RACINGBREAKS RYDER (Charlie Hills)
Racingbreaks Ryder, a smart handicapper, landed a hat-trick of wins last spring off marks of 78, 84 and 90 before fast ground at the height of summer combined with too high a handicap rating in the mid 90’s scuppered his chance of entering the winner’s enclosure again. An eye catching return in the Newbury Spring Cup off 91 when a never nearer 11th set him up nicely for a shot at the Thirsk Hunt Cup off 88 (backed from 20’s into 17/2), but he got buzzed up in the stalls and racing prominently from the off never had a chance of getting home. William Cox was very easy on him down the home straight and a rating in the mid 80’s granted some cut in the ground could see him land a nice prize at around a mile.
9 – SAINT LAWRENCE (Archie Watson)
Good to fast ground over a stiff six furlongs with a strong pace to run out are the optimum conditions for last year’s Wokingham Handicap winner Saint Lawrence (off a mark of 100), although he did run a career best on soft ground in the Maurice de Gheest). His opening salvos in the Abernant Stakes and then a 7f handicap, both at Newmarket, were disappointing. However, the former wasn’t run at an out and out gallop and the 7f simply is too far for him. If Archie can get him back down to near the 100 mark again then a strong defence of his RA title could be on the cards.
10 – AMERICAN STAR (Ruth Carr)
I love a set of mid-grade handicappers to follow and American Star fits the bill beautifully. Winner of a Salisbury maiden as a juvenile and a strong looking class three nursery off 85 at Newbury (both on good to soft ground). In 12 outings since he has been unplaced seeing his mark tumble from 93 to 72. His last run was behind Wobwobwob in a pretty competitive Class 4 event at Thirsk when he could never get a shot at the leaders. I suspect that last performance should have brought him to a peak fitness wise and a Class 5 sprint should be well within his domain in the coming months with the money down from connections.
*Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules
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