Tag: Henry Candy

Newmarket Saturday Preview

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Last week we previewed the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and came down on the side of Gleneagles at 9-4. Surprisingly, Aidan O’Brien’s colt can be backed at 7-2 with Paddy Power on the eve of the first classic of the 2015 season.

Highland Reel has been diverted to the French Guineas having drifted to 50-1 on Betfair prior to the announcement from Ballydoyle. Stable companion Ol Man River has come from nowhere to be third favourite at around 6-1. We shall keep faith with the proven two-year-old form of Gleneagles and hope that the market moves are wide of the mark.

There is also a fine supporting card and Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore can get favourite backers off to a good start with Top Tug. He is very lightly raced and matches the profile of previous winners of this race for the powerful Newmarket yard.

The Palace House Sprint does not look particularly strong this year and it may be worth taking a chance on Goldream to successfully step up in class. He was tough and consistent last season for Robert Cowell who is an expert with sprinters. There is a very disappointing turnout for the Jockey Club Cup with Telescope facing only three rivals.

He is top class on his day, as he showed when running away with the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. He won’t be at his peak for his seasonal debut and Pether’s Moon is the one most likely to give him a race on Saturday.

Henry Candy was a relieved man when Limato came out and won at Ascot in midweek. He sends out another potentially top class sprinter in the 4.20 with the unbeaten Twilight Son. He won both of his races as a two-year-old, including a victory over Desert Force. Richard Hannon’s horse came out and won well at Newbury but now finds himself 11lbs worse off with Twilight Son. Candy’s charge only just got up to win at Thirsk but was trapped at the back of the field with two furlongs to run and did well to make up the ground.

Azmaam was very unlucky at the Craven meeting and can reverse form with Rocky Rider in the 4.55 while Godolphin’s Greatest Journey looks the value bet in the closing race. He was only just denied by Cape Clear Island last time and could be even more effective over this two furlongs shorter trip.

Top Tug 2.00 @9-2 William Hill

Goldream 2.30 @6-1 Betfred

Telescope 3.05 @4-7 Stan James

Gleneagles 3.45 @7-2 Paddy Power

Twilight Son 4.20 @13-8 Betfair

Azmaam 4.55 @7-2 Paddy Power

Greatest Journey 5.30 @6-1 Paddy Power

Ascot Wednesday Preview

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There is an excellent card at Ascot on Wednesday with two Group 3 races and a Listed race.

The action starts at 2.25 with a two-year-old Conditions Stakes featuring three first-time-out winners. The one to be on here looks to be Gifted Master for the in-form Hugo Palmer stable. He was an impressive winner on his debut at Newmarket where he had the Brocklesby Stakes winner behind in fourth. He won’t have everything his own way with Mark Johnston’s Buratino and Windsor winner Handytalk in opposition but another win here could book his Royal Ascot ticket.

Montalcino is strongly fancied to win the Retraining Of Racehorses Stakes at 3.00 for Brian Meehan, another stable which has started the season impressively. Level stakes followers of the yard are already fifty points up this season and Montalcino holds an ambitious entry in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot. If she is that good, the others won’t see which way she went but I’m going to take a chance on Pulcinella. The Godolphin filly was second off a modest mark in a Newmarket handicap on her last outing but she is by that good mare Petrushka and can only improve.

The Sagaro Stakes at 3.30 looks a real puzzle, particularly if the ground remains on the fast side. Tac de Boistron is known to prefer softer ground and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him taken out if the rain fails to arrive. Forever Now was very disappointing at Nottingham behind stable companion Deuce Again last time and is surely better than he showed that day. Pallasator should go close here for Sir Mark Prescott but there are a number of improving horses here that are taking a step up from handicap company.

Stomachion and Wakea will both win races but I am siding with Luca Cumani’s Mizzou. He did nothing but improve last year and was only beaten inches on his last start here. Normally I would not back Cumani until later in the summer but he’s already sent out a couple of winners and his horses seem quite well forward. Whatever he does here, he should develop into a decent stayer this season.

The horse which may steal the headlines is Henry Candy’s unbeaten Limato. He oozed class when winning the valuable Redcar Two-year-old Trophy under a confident ride from Graham Lee and could develop into a Group 1 sprinter this season. There are plenty of speedy sorts in opposition in the Pavilion Stakes at 4.05 but I expect Limato to continue where he left off last season and make it five in a row.

Mondialiste ran a cracker in the Lincoln and did not enjoy the smoothest of runs at Newmarket last time. He looks the form choice in the Listed race at 4.35 for David O’Meara.

Gifted Master 2.25 @6-4 Stan James

Pulcinella 3.00 @7-2 Betfair

Mizzou 3.30 @9-1 Boylesports

Limato 4.05 @13-8 Paddy Power

Mondialiste 4.35 @2-1 Bet365

Leah-Anne Avery to star at Kempton

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The miserable weather in the UK has resulted in a very poor turnout at Newbury on Thursday so I am switching my attention to the all-weather at Kempton Park.

The action gets under way at 3.55 with eight races to keep the flat racing fans happy. All eyes will be on apprentice jockey Leah-Anne Avery at 4.55 as she bids to complete a hat-trick aboard Cadmium. She is apprenticed to Harry Dunlop and has impressed many with her neat riding style on the three-year-old.

Cadmium has improved dramatically since the Autumn and looked as though she won with a bit in hand last time when accounting for Silvee by a length and three-quarters. Her rider always had her handily placed just off the lead and nipped up the inside before repelling all challengers. The handicapper has put her up 4lbs but Avery is able to claim her 7lbs allowance here and has a great chance of completing the hat-trick.

John Gosden seems to have plenty of ammunition for the winter months and Colour Party should follow up her recent Wolverhampton victory in the featured nursery at 6.25. She had previously finished second in a big field at Newmarket and has more scope than any of her rivals. The danger is probably Richard Fahey’s Zaza Zest who romped home by eight lengths on her first attempt at seven furlongs last time.

Spring Fling could be ahead of the handicapper in the last if she can overcome a wide draw. If she were able to reproduce her Salisbury form from May against Lightning Moon she would win this by a street. She got to within a quarter of a length of Ed Walker’s colt who went on to win a Group 3 at Ascot in October. He is officially rated 98 while Spring Fling gets in here off a mark of 80.

Ralph Beckett knows how to train a filly and has two Epsom Oaks winners to his credit. He sends out a couple of interesting runners on Thursday in Engaging Smile (5.25) and Redstart (5.55). Engaging Smile ran on well into fourth on her debut and would have finished second with a clearer run up the straight. She has most to fear from Gosden’s Rastanora while Redstart was narrowly beaten at Leicester on her debut.

Michael Bell’s Niblawi should go well in the 4.25 after shaping nicely on his debut here last week. He was narrowly beaten by Miss Underwood but this looks an ideal opportunity to get off the mark.

Niblawi 4.25 @23-20 Betfair

Cadmium 4.55 @11-4 Betfair

Engaging Smile 5.25 @6-5 Betdaq

Redstart 5.55 @9-5 Betfair

Colour Party 6.25 @2-1 Bet365

Spring Fling 6.55 @3-1 Coral

 

Bath Sunday Preview

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As predicted, Champions Day proved more of a mud bath than a bloodbath for punters as the heavy ground produced several shock results. Charm Spirit was our only saviour at a generous SP of 5-1 but the big race went to Frankel’s full-brother Noble Mission. There is no illusion of grandeur about Sunday’s offering at Bath but I have picked out a trio of interesting runners.

The Fillies’ Handicap at 2.00 looks as though it should rest between Jethou and Gharaaneej. The latter is trained by John Gosden and has been runner-up on her last two starts, chasing home Nathr in the same colours at Leicester. This is the first time that she has raced over a mile and there is a slight question mark about her getting the trip. Her dam did not win beyond five furlongs, although she shapes as though she will stay.

That doubt just sways me towards Henry Candy’s Jethou Island who was fourth in a Kempton maiden auction race last time. She was beaten five lengths but the runner-up was Andrew Balding’s Geordan Murphy who easily won a maiden next time. Jethou Island would have been third in another stride or two and had to be pulled around runners to deliver her challenge. She could be the better value at around 9-2.

Another maiden with claims in a handicap for the first time is Balding’s Bikini Island. The daughter of Dynaformer races in a hood but lacked nothing in courage last time out when just beaten on the nod by The Character at Chester. She settled perfectly for David Probert that day having pulled away her chance on her previous outing. I like the way she travelled and this similarly turning track should suit her perfectly.

The one that I fear most is Headline News who has been running in better quality races. She came up against a decent sort in Rewaaya at Newmarket but the big weight concession to Bikini Island could prove too much.

My final selection is Le Maitre Chat who gave a perfect demonstration of why jockeys should not go for a run up the inside at Ascot last time. Jim Crowley tried to find a way up the inside of Quest For More and had the door slammed shut before a similar manoeuvre on that horse’s outside also failed to find daylight. By the time he got out it was all over and he must go close off only a 1lb higher mark. The form threat is See And Be Seen who beat the subsequent Cesarewitch winner Big Easy at Newmarket last time and is only up 4lbs.

Jethou Island 2.00 @9-2 Bet Victor

Bikini Island 3.05 @5-1 Paddy Power

Le Maitre Chat 3.35 @5-2 Paddy Power