COUNTDOWN TO NEWMARKET: It’s a quiet start to a week which could include a strong Middle Park of top two-year-olds and a Cambridgeshire of crackers. That’s the essence of Daqman’s previews of the big Newmarket meeting which starts on Thursday. Look for the headlines:
🔹 GIVE ME RACING: NOT WALK-OVERS
🔹 PRO PUNTERS FOLLOWING FRANKIE
🔹 ELEVEN CAMBRIDGESHIRE CRACKERS
GIVE ME RACING: NOT WALK-OVERS
The Dewhurst could be the loser. If Pinatubo goes there – Newmarket on October 12 – the Godolphin sensation will frighten off the opposition, barring any look-see Ballydoyle colts, possibly Arizona.
The beneficiary could be Saturday’s Middle Park with a big three two-year-olds line-up of Earthlight, Mums Tipple and Siskin, the very trio holding up Pinatubo in the 2,000 Guineas betting for 2020.
Another reason it looks that way is that none of that trio seems to be targeting the Lagardere at the Arc meeting, for which Palace Pier and Victor Ludorum are favourites in ante-post lists.
Pinatubo punters may have to face the Guineas with Positive, Lope Y Fernandez, Armory and Arizona as their only benchmarks, and it’s already clear that they are some way behind.
Pinatubo has been given ratings in the Frankel mould but, until he meets something close to his own class, we have to keep on backing him at long odds-on.
Frankel ended up that way. No opposition. No adventure at the Classic distance of 1m 4f. This is what spoils it for me. This game is about racing, and about betting.
With no race and no strength in the market, the Frankels and the Pinatubos ruin an entire Classic season for me.
⚠️ HEADS UP On the same day as the Middle Park, the Cheveley Park has Aidan O’Brien going for a four-timer. He may run Etoile, though there’s been a long gap since her May debut, and I am hoping to see Love Locket, who had a quiet introduction 10 days ago.
She’s a No Nay Never whose dam’s side goes back to Sea The Stars and High Chaparral. Could be anything, as they say.
HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM
3.40 Hamilton Gordon Elliott sends over his fourth runner of the week to Hamilton but so far at least the magic he shows over the jumps hasn’t been replicated on the level with his runners yesterday finishing 9th, 5th and 7th.
On paper though House Call has the best form chance and arrives at Hamilton via the slightly unorthodox route of a spin on the beach at Laytown last week! The filly was making her stable debut there and shaped with promise over seven furlongs. The extra distance here should suit as should the further softening of the ground to soft (from good to soft yesterday).
The last time she faced similar conditions (1m soft Killarney, May 2018) she ran one of her best races when runner-up to Espere in a maiden when trained by Jessica Harrington and any sign of that form coming back would surely make her a good bet here off a handicap mark of just 51?
There’s been plenty of early support for Cliff Bay who has soft ground form to his name and don’t be two alarmed by his latest two efforts. Despite finishing 9th and 7th he hasn’t been beaten far and both those efforts came on faster ground and he looks the biggest danger.
4.00 Leicester Great Esteem should find plenty of improvement for his debut run at Wolverhampton when chasing home Casanova and like many from the Appleby stable should know more about the game on his second start. He looked very green on debut, especially at the start.
He was no match for the John Gosden trained winner who had the benefit of experience. Casanova has since gone on to win a handicap at Sandown so the form can definitely be upgraded.
The two debutants here are friendless in the market and the biggest danger is likely to come from the Marcus Tregoning trained Monaafasah who was a very easy winner of a soft race at Bath but has to defy a penalty now.
The Roger Varian trained Look Closely has run well enough in three starts and is now up in trip but his latest effort at Goodwood didn’t suggest he’d improved from his second start and he may have already plateaued.
8.00 Kempton Highfaluting was a beaten favourite last time here and is now up 2lb in the handicap so would’t be an automatic first choice for a selection but he ran a big race (in what looked better company) and should be suited by the drop back to seven furlongs – the shortest trip he has ever raced over.
He was only overhauled close home last time and can make a bold bid tonight from pole position in draw 1 which is always helpful, especially in big fields at Kempton.
DAQMAN’S BETS (all staked to win 10 points)
BET 2.5pts win HOUSE CALL (3.40 Hamilton)
BET 8.0pts win (nap) GREAT ESTEEM (4.00 Leicester)
BET 3.1pts win HIGHFALUTING (8.00 Kempton)
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