Racing Chat - Thursday 18th April

[The Brigadier]

Newmarket 1.50

The first of six races screened by the ITV cameras is the 6F class 2 handicap for three year olds which has attracted a good sized field of 17. This really does have an open look about it with any market moves to be taken seriously. Adrian Nicholls’s Ingleby Ivy is one to keep an eye on having impressed when winning at Ripon by 4 1/4L last September prior to being out of his depth in listed company at York. Simon & Ed Crisford’s Rabaah Racing owned Pen Portrait is another interesting runner who’s making his handicap debut here having been gelded. He beat one of his opponents City House by 3/4L at Wolverhampton last September and is actually 5lb better off now. He could be a player but it’s the John & Thady Gosden trained Gamekeeper who catches my eye. This is his handicap debut and although some of the Gosden runners are need ing their first run this one was last seen only 22 days ago when third in a hot novice stakes at Kempton. William Buick is booked and he’s the one for me.

 

GAME KEEPER 1 point each way @ 15/1 William Hill 1/5th 12345

 

Cheltenham 2.05

The first of two races covered by the ITV cameras is this ten runner mares only handicap chase run over 3m 1F 56 yards. Charlie Longsdon saddles an interesting runner in the shape of I Am Gonna Be who has joined Longsdon from Lucinda Russell and has had a wind operation since last seen 104 days ago. The most likely winner though has to be last year’s runner up Juniper who is trained by Anthony Honeyball in Dorset. The ten year old comes here in excellent form having won her last two starts at Taunton and Wincanton rising 11lb on soft ground. The ground was good when she ran so well to finish runner up to My Silver Lining last year for Harry Whittington and although she is now 12lb higher appears to have improved for the stable switch. She’s the bet here although I can’t resist a small each way saver on I Am Gonna Be.

 

JUNIPER 1 point each way @ 9/2 Betfred 1/5th 1234

I AM GONNA BE 1/2 point each way @ 12/1 Betfred 1/5th 1234

 

Newmarket 2.25

The 1M Wood Ditton Stakes features thirteen unraced three year olds in a race that is going to be worth following over the following month or so. The best guide here will be the market with the likes of Charlie Appleby’s full brother to Key Victory, First Conquest and the trio of John & Thady Gosden runners Earl Of Rochester, Pipes And Drums and Lead Artist all worth monitoring in the market. The only runner in the field who has future group entries at this stage is the Amo Racing owned, Dominic Ffrench-Davis trained Padesha who is entered in the Dante, Irish & English Derbys and the Irish 2000 Guineas.

With little to go on I’ll take a chance on the latter who’s fancy entries surely suggest he can go a bit.

 

PADESHA 1 point win @ 4/1 bet365

 

Cheltenham 2.40

A near maximum field of seventeen face the judge for this 2M 4F 56 yard mares handicap hurdle. The race has a wide open look about it with the favourite around the 7/1 mark. Dan Skelton is always to be feared in these type of contests and saddles a brace of runners here in Notnowlinda and Cottie. The latter is ridden for the first time by Harry Skelton on only her fourth start for his brother, having previously been trained in Ireland by Henry De Bromhead. She’s an intriguing runner especially if the money comes for her but the one I like is the Philip Kirby trained Lone Star. She came into this race last year having won five of her previous six starts as a 9/1 chance and finished sixth (beaten 13L). She can race off of a handicap mark 8lb lower today having shown little on her last four starts which all came on unflavoured soft ground. With drying ground very much in her favour she can run a big race with regular pilot Joe Williamson in the saddle.

 

LONE STAR 1 point each way @ 14/1 bet365 1/5th 12345

 

Newmarket 3.00

Next up is the 6F Group 3 Abernant Stakes run over 6F. This has supposedly been the target for Richard Hannon’s Shouldhavebeenaring who was incredibly easy to back at Wolverhampton following a 160 day beak 40 days ago drifting from 11/10 out to 9/4 and running as the market suggested. His trainer stated afterwards his early season target is this race so he has to be given a big chance although the one I like is Karl Burke’s Marshman who unlike the majority of his opponents today comes here with a recent run under his belt which must be a big bonus. That run came in the Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster on Lincoln day when running a decent neck second to the fast finishing William Haggas runner Montassib (4th Adaay In Devon won handicap since). He’s a consistent sprinter who, with that run behind him, can run well in a competitive renewal.

 

MARSHMAN 1 point each way @ 13-2 Coral 1/5th 1234

 

Newmarket 3.35

The meeting’s feature race is the 1M Craven Stakes which has attracted just seven runners this season. John & Thady Gosden’s Eben Shaddad brings the best form to the table with his Dewhurst third to City Of Troy (beaten 4 1/2L at 25/1) making him the joint officially top rated with Andre Fabre’s French challenger Alcantor. A Group 3 winner at Saint Cloud and runner up in the Group 1 Criterium International to David Menusier’s Sunway he has some solid juvenile form although all of his efforts came on soft ground. If there’s one horse in the race who may just be better than that pair then surely it’s the Charlie Appleby trained Native Approach, an imposing son of Too Darn Hot who followed up a debut second at Kempton by taking a maiden in easy style in February. That form will need to be bettered to take this but the vibes are strong and with his trainer having won this race three times in the last five years he has to be the pick here under William Buick.

 

NATIVE APPROACH 1 point win @ 9/4 William Hill

 

[Hotspur88]

Info...

14:25 Newmarket Lead Artist 7/2