:Picture courtesy of Racehorsephotos
By Charlie McCann
BetVictor make John Gosden’s unbeaten colt Kingman their 7/4 fav (from 6/1) for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next month after his magnificent win in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
It was a magnificent performance from Kingman and Australia will have to be every bit as good as Aidan O’Brien suggests to give the John Gosden trained colt a fright at HQ in three weeks’ time; the Ballydoyle inmate eased to 5/2 and likewise for the Epsom Derby.
The Gosden stable can do no wrong at the minute with 13 winners from the stable’s last 22 runners since Brass Ring’s success at Lingfield ten days ago and his pair of runners at Windsor immediately warrant respect.
Blessington (4.20) remains well handicapped from a mark of 87 now returning from a break with the stable in red-hot form. The colt’s best form has come over the six furlong trip on soft ground, chasing home Intibaah at Ascot with several runners coming out and running well subsequently. Providing William Buick can get across from stall twelve, he has to go close.
Nicky Mackay takes the ride on Holberg Suite (3.50) who is a well-bred filly for Cheveley Park stud and an Azamour half-sister to several winners including Sir Mark Prescott’s Lyric Piece and a full sister to the stable’s 90 rated filly Piano.
Alan King‘s Ridgeway Storm was well beaten at odds-on at Southwell last month and should be better than the bare result, whilst Sir Michael Stoute‘s Sea The Bloom is Cheveley Stud’s first string; a Sea The Stars filly that finished an eye-catching fourth on her sole start last season at Newmarket.
Elsewhere on the card, Andrew Balding‘s Wyle (5.20) has the potential to be much better than her opening mark of 75 suggests with Davey Probert doing the steering.
The filly made the perfect start when staying on well to win a strong maiden at Newbury with plenty of winners thrown up in behind. She is now stepped up to a mile and a half on handicap debut and should improve further en-route to bigger and better things.
Pontefract opened their new season with a flurry of big-priced winners last week and it is hoped that Dandy Nicholls’ Rocket Ronnie (2.40) can throw up something of a surprise in the mile handicap.
Nicholls’ son Adrian takes the ride and he should be able to take fully advantage of the 4-y-o’s plumb draw in stall one. The gelding had a nice pipe-opener around at Doncaster in a competitive handicap at Doncaster and that should put him spot-on for this afternoons race, stepped up to a trip that is much more so suit.
Richard Hannon’s Annunciation is likely to be popular in the six furlong handicap however another well-drawn and well-treated animal is David Barron’s course and distance winner Colonel Mak (3.10) with Andrew Mullen in the plate.
The 7-y-o is well drawn for a horse that likes to be ridden prominent and despite not having the best record fresh, returning to the scene of his sole success last term.
There’s jump racing from Hexham with AP McCoy teaming up with Donald McCain for a trio of fancied rides, the mare Bespoke Lady (4.00) seen as their best chance in the mares’ maiden hurdle.
She was bought by the Paul and Clare Rooney after finishing second in a point-to-point in Ireland and made a promising debut under rules finishing third in a warm bumper at Kelso. Despite finishing second last time out at Sedgefield there was enough evidence to suggest that the mare by Presenting should improve stepped up in trip, now sent over hurdles.
For all the latest odds go to BetVictor.com
