Horse Racing Preview – Newmarket – 6th May 2017
Today’s horse racing preview comes from Newmarket, with 4 selections from the meeting including the Quipco 2000 Guineas. We have some good races to get through before the guineas, I would expect the course to be slightly watered, but riding fast on the day with some quick times expected.
13.50 Newmarket – Spring Lodge Stakes (Handicap) (9f)
I can’t see much of an upset in the first race with the selection coming in Sir Michael Stoute’s Dansili gelding Ballet Concerto whose profile fits a race of this type after finishing strongly to win a big field handicap on the opening day of the flat season at Doncaster
Ryan Moore eased him through the gears and picked up when hitting the rising finish going away I thought, plenty more in the locker. His nearest rival will be Godolphins Next Stage who took what I think now was an average contest over 8f here on the Rowley. The runner up Shaiyam has shown a poor return when finishing second last on the all weather at Chelmsford.
One thing in his favour is probably the drying ground which saw him come on from average runs in soft conditions, but as the likely winner I really cannot see it this afternoon. Best of the rest looks to come in Charles Hills Grapevine. A very busy three year old campaign when winning two 0-80 handicaps at Windsor and Epsom.
Two defeats at the back end of the season in 0-85 & 0-90 company showed consistency and could be the each way of the party, but I cannot see him going closer than a place at best.
Ballet Concerto : 2pt Win @ 3/1 (BOG)
{ad}
Newmarket – Longholes Palace House Stakes (Group 3)
Washington DC’s form away from Ireland is for me very questionable, with just the one recorded win on British soil which came in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes almost two seasons ago.
I put him forward as a good bet on this blog last time out when he kept his emphatic Irish form when winning the Woodland Stakes at Navan. He is 3-9 over the minimum trip and will get the services of Ryan Moore, a strange call considering Moore has not won on him since that Royal Ascot win.
Muthmir got his 2017 campaign off to a good start when landing a conditions stakes at Bath. His drop back to the dead 5f could make him vulnerable on what he showed over the optimum with his last win at the index coming at Glorious Goodwood last year when winning the Group 2 King George Stakes, not sure at seven now he can mix it here.
One I think has thrived this year already on the all weather is the Richard Fahey runner Kimberella. Even though I have stated that Fahey’s yard is not round up yet, Kimberella had notched up a good brace at Lingfield which included on Champions day. He was seen winning a 0-105 handicap at Chester this time last year, I think they have over looked his chances here, Sole Power won this at seven back in 2014, cannot be discounted.
Kimberella : 1pt each way @ 16/1 (BOG)
{ad}
14.55 Newmarket – Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2)
Ballydoyle brings one of the smart prospects in Seventh Heaven to Newmarket, last year’s Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner ran too badly to be true when beaten at the Breeders Cup. Her sole start this year saw her beaten in the Sheema Classic when beaten by Jack Hobbs by two and a quarter lengths.
She looks on career performances that we will see the best of her around this time, she warrants the utmost respect. One I was taken with and put up here is Mark Johnston’s Galapiat who won with plenty in hand at Epsom ten days ago, well bred by Galileo he looks an out and out stayer, if he makes his presence felt here we could see a crack at this year’s Derby or even the St Leger.
Galapiat : 1pt each way @ 5/1 (BOG)
{ad}
15.35 Newmarket – Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1)
The first classics of the 2017 campaign and all eyes will be on Ballydoyle’s Dewhurst Stakes winner Churchill. The form has really taken a massive boost this week when third place Blue Point won a shade cosily in the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot.
If he succeeds here what will the price be of him landing this year’s Derby? Short I expect. There has not been your usual hype around an O’Brien entry as there is usually, I presume they will let him do the talking at the track this afternoon.
So is he beatable, nothing is a sure thing in this game but I would like to think he is the banker of the day. I’m going to take him on though; Barney Roy set some hot fractions when landing the Group 3 Greenham Stakes which has been a relevantly good trial for this race in past years.
Makfi was the last trained French winner, and I have honestly been on Al Wukair ever since he won at Deauville as a juvenile, the transition run went well when winning at Maison-Laffitte and has the pedigree being by placed site Dream Ahead.
Frankel won this in freak time and is highly represented here with Eminent and Dream Castle, the latter was given a lesson in speed when beaten in the Greenham when two lengths behind Barney Roy, I actually think the penny dropped too late and I would like to think Godolphins entry here is far better than that stepping up to a mile.
Eminent could be anything, 2-2 at the course which is going to be a big plus, the thing is can he go and sustain the form with Dream Castle? The Rivet form coming into the race I thought was suspect, which is why I prefer Dream Castle to reverse the form and for me is a good price for an each way.
Dream Castle : 1pt each way @ 18/1 (BOG)
Promotional Offer by BET365
