Thursday 14 July 2016 19:48, UK
Sky Sports News HQ's Alex Hammond looks ahead to this weekend's action and hopes the in-form Charlie Appleby can strike again.
I think Limato was my highlight, not least because I tipped and backed him. Henry Candy's horses have been hitting the crossbar recently, but despite his lack of numerical success this season, he is still the man for the big occasion and I was confident that Limato could win on his drop back to sprinting.
I think the horse is probably versatile regarding trip though and a step back up to a mile, or even a drop to five furlongs wouldn't put me off supporting him in the future. He doesn't actually look like a typical sprinter as he's small and lean, but he has a serious engine and it was a top-class performance. He does show signs of some temperament, illustrated to some extent by the way he drifted across the track, but if they can keep a lid on him the world is his oyster on his favoured fast ground.
It was tough to keep across all the racing, but I was impressed by the winning performance of Dabyah in the opening race of Newmarket's card on Saturday. John Gosden's filly was sent off favourite to win this seven-furlong maiden fillies' event on her debut and she won easily under Frankie Dettori.
This is a race that historically is worth noting as some smart fillies have contested it in the past and this filly should be no exception. She will be targeted at better races now and she's a 25/1 shot with Sky Bet for next year's 1000 Guineas. It will be interesting to watch her progress.
Boynton's win in a decent Superlative Stakes at the same track was also smart. The win took him to two wins from two and he is now 25/1 with Sky Bet for next year's 2000 Guineas. That's a long way off though and the National Stakes in Ireland was named by trainer Charlie Appleby as a possible target next. His debut win at Goodwood has worked out well.
The horse he beat that day was the Richard Hannon-trained Muthawatheb who subsequently beat Tis Marvellous at Newbury. That horse has gone on to win his maiden in some style at Windsor to add further depth to the form. He has a slightly awkward way of running, but at the moment he's displaying plenty of ability and with the Godolphin team hitting their stride (particularly Appleby's yard) he's one to keep on the right side of.
It's good to see Hugo Palmer and Roger Varian add the two fillies to Saturday's race to take on the hot favourite and it was interesting to hear Varian say his filly (Ajman Princess) has improved tons since her second place in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot. She was beaten a length and a half by Even Song that day and it was her first run outside maiden company, so it was pleasing to see her hold her own in better company. She also wore a hood for the first time that day and given any improvement she should be more of a threat to the hot favourite. At 6/1 with Sky Bet, she is considerably a more attractive betting proposition than the short-priced favourite and it might be worth taking a chance on her this weekend.
Architecture is also currently a 6/1 shot but the Oaks runner up needs to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the Ribblesdale. She was a little on her toes before the Royal Ascot race and ran below-par, but if you can ignore that latest effort she would be well fancied to given Even Song a run for her money. Hugo Palmer felt the race wasn't run to suit at Ascot and it may have come too soon after her excellent effort in the Oaks.
Mick Channon's Harlequeen is 14s and has her first run since her superb third place in the Oaks at Epsom. I'm just slightly concerned that 12 furlongs stretches her a bit as her stamina appeared to be running out at Epsom, but at the price she could be one for each-way punters once again.
Another to note on that score is Hugo Palmer's other runner, We Are Ninety. She wasn't unfancied in the Ribblesdale by those in the know and actually ran better than Architecture in finishing sixth. She's a solid yardstick and at 25/1 could be a fun each-way investment.
So, to answer the question, I'm not sure if anything can beat Even Song, but at the price I wouldn't touch her with a bargepole. So, I'll be backing Ajman Princess to win with a small each-way investment on We Are Ninety as that price looks too good to miss!
Well, I do enjoy my jumps racing and Market Rasen stages some valuable action this weekend. The day is always well supported and therefore provides us with some cracking betting opportunities.
The Betfred Summer Plate is the feature, it's a Listed handicap chase and conditions look perfect in the run up to this 2m 5f contest with the ground described as good.
It's wide-open, but there does look an opportunity to find some each-way value. If Ballynagour runs then there will be a chunk of the field out of the handicap and that would include one of the JP McManus-owned runners, Easy Street, who is joint-favourite with the David Pipe trained top-weight at 7/1. Easy Street unseated his rider at this track last time out when sent off the well-backed favourite. That was his only blip in three starts over fences with this novice winning his first two over the larger obstacles. It wouldn't be ideal to run almost half a stone 'wrong' at the weights, so maybe Jonjo O'Neill will claim off him [ie use a conditional rider] if the top weight stands his ground.
Theinval is one to consider off his current mark for Nicky Henderson. He got off the mark over fences in a beginners' chase at Uttoxeter in May and he is well handicapped over fences in comparison to his hurdle rating. He's an 8/1 shot.
Jonjo O'Neill's 2014 winner It's A Gimme is one to keep on the right side of despite that being his last visit to a winner's enclosure. He ran in the race last year without making an impression, but has dropped further down the weights and is now only 6lb higher than for his win two years ago.
He returned to action at Uttoxeter last month with a promising display, looking in need of the run, and that should have helped knocked some of the rust off prior to his run on Saturday.
Dan and Harry Skelton team up with Long House Hall who has just had the three starts over fences. He ran an encouraging race at Uttoxeter last time out, staying on well having been given plenty to do. He remains off the same mark (143) and this year's Coral Cup runner-up shows all the signs of transferring his hurdles ability to fences.
He's one of the shorter horses in the market at 8/1, but I can't leave him off my shortlist with his improving profile. It's going to be a red hot contest with declarations on Friday. I've already backed Long House Hall and It's A Gimme, so I just hope both stand their ground!
I hope we see him run a better race at Newbury on Saturday, but as you'll see in a moment, I won't be cheering him home. He ran way below-par in the Diamond Jubilee and although the ground was expected to suit it could have just been a bit too soft. James Fanshawe has said this horse prefers some cut in the ground (as the family tend to do), so that has to leave a question mark over the suitability of conditions on Saturday which at the time of writing were being described as good to firm. Having said that, he has won on good to firm and the weather has been a touch unsettled in the run up to the meeting.
I've already highlighted the excellent form of the Charlie Appleby stable and he saddles Charming Thought in the race. He has had a month to get over his reappearance run, which was his first since October 2014, so hopefully that should negate any possible 'bounce'.
He won the Middle Park on his final start as a two-year-old and then missed the entire Classic campaign before returning to action in a Listed race at Salisbury a month ago. He ran a promising race without being asked too tough a question to finish in fourth and it looked like a perfect re-introduction to action after such a long layoff.
There is no Group One penalty to carry for this son of Oasis Dream as runners in this race are only penalised for victories after October 2015, so he has plenty going for him. I've already backed him at 7/1 with Sky Bet and I hope my money isn't misplaced!
