Leicester 22/9/08

[fintron]

Leicester 2.20 With 11 winners in the past fortnight and with a treble at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Hamilton today Mark Johnston is a trainer bang in form. He sends Norfolk Broads out in class 4 nursery handicap over 6 furlongs tomorrow at Leicester. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

A field of 18 go to post so luck in running will be required, but his filly may have been let in off a decent mark of 69 here. On her second run at York she had Adozen Dreams behind by a neck and that rival has picked up a handicap off 66 since. In front of her by a couple of lengths was Carnaby Haggerston, who picked up a nursery handicap himself off 78.

She then raced at Lingfield and had Montmorency four lengths back in third. The Godolphin recruit finished 2nd at Ripon next time out, but the form of that race was boosted today when Count Paris (3.25 lengths behind Montmorency) picked up a handicap off 72 off the back of an earlier handicap win at Lingfield when rated 67. Montmorency himself has since won a Goodwood maiden and holds an entry for the Darley Dewhurst next month.

Norfolk Broads raced at Doncaster when last seen but up in grade (class 2) and on soft ground she was never involved and a well beaten 15th off a mark of 69. However, the ground tomorrow will be much faster and back down in grade she cannot be ignored on her present mark with Johnston is such rampant form at present.

She's 14.5 on Betfair at present and Sport life tissue is 16/1 so will definitely have a dabble if she opens around that in the morning.

[fintron]

Re: Leicester 22/9/08 3.20 Equuleus Pictor remains in good heart despite the fact he is now 4 lbs above his last winning mark. He was rated 71 when he won at Windsor but he carried a 6 lb penalty then so did well to win. I backed him at Folkestone after he had been reassessed but he finished third behind Irish Pearl and Regale Royale (btn 1.38). When he was last seen he was only half a length off The Jobber (who reopposes here) at Yarmouth though so I don't think he's finished winning just yet. Although the Jobber gave away 2 lb that day, when only a few neck's seperated them either side of Russian Rocket, he must find more improvement than Equuleus Pictor now given that he goes under a 6 lb penalty for that win. Goes well for the jockey, proven over the trip and will probably be longer in the betting than the Jobber so may be backable EW.