Friday Feast At The Races

With meetings at three Grade 1 tracks this afternoon we are really spoilt for choice, but we must bear in mind that there are an awful lot of losers out there today.

There are a number of handicaps today that I will be watching with interest. The Newburry 3.55, only a Class 4 over 11 furlongs but there are three horses in there who interest me. Colorado Blue, who his making his handicap debut, having run in two pretty hot maidens on his last two outings. His seasonal debut at Bath when he ran third to Sugar Mint, who filled second place behind Sail in the Cheshire Oaks, and Duntulm, who put in an extrordinary performance to get up to win a competitive Newmarket handicap after losing 10 lengths at the start, is turning out to be a decent effort. He then ran third to the very useful Checklow at Windsor, staying on at the one pace over ten furlongs, the stiffer test of Newbury’s 11 furlongs should suit. Just behind Colorado Blue in that Windsor race was Celt, who makes his handicap debut for Luca Cumani here, Spencer takes the ride. I noted this horse at Chepstow last year as one who would make up into a nice handicapper. The final member of my ‘interesting trio’ is Cossack Prince, or “Goliath” as a friend of mine described him on seeing him in the paddock when making his debut at Newmarket last autumn. This horse did manage to win a poor race at Wolverhampton in November, but showed very little on his seasonal debut behind Colony in a hot handicap at Sandown. He is bound to win more races, not sure if it will be today though.

The handicaps at 4.30 and 5.05 at Newbury are also of interest. I was at Windsor last week when Trans Siberian beat Aegean Prince over ten furlongs. Trans Siberian runs in the 4.30 over the same distance and has a six-pound penalty to defy. If Aegean Prince had been taking him on I would have expected the Hannon horse to reverse the placings, as I thought he was just in need of the race. However Hannon has decided to step his horse up to 12 furlongs, the distance of the 5.05, and I’m not convinced that it will be ideal, but hey!!, what do I know?

One to keep an eye on in the Newmarket 2.30, a mile handicap, is Hyde Lea Flyer. A second to Tajaaweed in a Nottingham maiden last back-end is beginning to look particularly useful after that horse’s win at Chester last week, has put him to the forefront of The Derby betting. He made a satisfactory seasonal debut behind Spirit Of A Nation at Redcar on soft ground over a mile. The question in my mind is, is a mile far enough for this horse? There is an awful lot of stamina in his pedigree and I have to think that his optimum trip will be over further than this.

Right waffling over. Two horses that I think are worthy of support today are RASH JUDGEMENT York 3.45 and MASTERSHIP York 4.20.

Except for a poor effort in a valuable sales race at Newmarket, Rash Judgement has shown steady improvement. He made his seasonal re-appearance in a hot little sprint handicap at Sandown. He finished third beaten just under three lengths by Corryborough, who is expected to become something more that a handicapper, second was Chartist, who although a beaten favourite at Chester last week, obviously has a lot of ability, if not the will to use it. Back in fourth was Brassini an impressive winner at Lingfield last week. Our horse is drawn four, which based on the results at York this week shouldn’t be a dis-advantage.

Mastership on the other hand hasn’t been lucky with his draw, he is in Box 13 and horses drawn on the stand rails have struggled a bit this week. He was with Clive Brittain last year and as usual ‘Uncle Clive’ was ever-optimistic with his campaigning but he ran well enough from a bad draw, first home on the stand-side , in a Heritage Handicap at Newmarket last July. The horse is now with John Quinn and has been dropped 7lbs. in the handicap since that good run. I am expecting a much better season for the horse and he must have an each-way chance today (18 on Betfair).

Colin