2 for today.

[Carl]

Newmarket 3.20 Lost Soldier Three Zeitgeist won the Old Newton Cup at Haydock last week and the stable is worth following again. The yard are represented by Lost Soldier Three in this handicap over a mile and six furlongs and he is expected to confirm the progression he showed as a three-year old last season. He was an easy winner over course and distance when landing the Melrose Stakes last August and followed that up when landing a valuable race at Doncaster. Lost Soldier Three was a short price to make it a hat trick of wins at Newmarket but can be forgiven for that as he sweated up prior to the race and was never travelling fluently, as a result he was under pressure a long way out. His reappearance at Sandown was much more like the form he had previously shown. Although he was beaten four lengths in sixth place he deserves plenty of credit as it was his first start for eight months and he was not well placed when the tempo quickened. The step back in trip will be in his favour and his Sandown run will have put him spot on for this. Fallon is back on board and that is a hint in itself as he has enjoyed a good strike rate riding for the Cumani yard over the years. York 3.55 Crow Wood e/w Notable Guest and Mullins Bay are both improving four-year olds and head the market for the big race. However, they are boxed in fifteen and nineteen respectively so it will take a big performance for either to win. Although too much can be made of draw bias at times with such a short run to the first bend it seems safer to go for an animal in the bottom half of the draw. Zero Tolerance was very impressive when he won over course and distance in May and although he has been put up eight pounds for that win he was value for a lot more than the official margin of a length and three quarters. If he is allowed to dominate he could be hard to peg back but I feel a better bet is Crow Wood. He was beaten half a length by Notable Guest when the pair met three weeks ago but he is five pounds better off today and he should have the run of the race. He has proved pretty consistent over this trip and should get the good going he needs to show his best as the times yesterday suggested the ground is drying out. The handicapper has not penalized Crow Wood for his second behind Notable Guest and that is surprisingly considering he clocked a speed figure of 107, giving him a theoretical thirteen pound edge on his official handicap mark of 94. The ratings allocated for his last two races certainly suggest he is in the form of his life and providing Robert Winston bounces him out early then he should play a big hand in the finish.

[peteg40]

Re: 2 for today. GL Herp with your two selections, have backed Crow Wood E/W, that's fcuk it lol