Another ultra competitive Saturday afternoon means there is plenty for punters to get stuck in to. Newbury hosts a decent card and there are a couple of interesting horses who will be carrying my money.
The form of the Ian Williams stable took a huge surge yesterday as he reeled off a treble between Chepstow and Windsor. This bodes well for BE FRANK tomorrow who makes his stable debut. Sold out of the Henry Candy yard recently he boasts plenty of top level form although he hasn’t made it to the track that often for a horse his age. I’m hoping Ian WIlliams can work his magic as he so often does and turn this lad into a winning machine as he is certainly lurking on a mark low enough to do some damage in an open 7f handicap. Aidan Keeley takes a further 5lbs off and at 20/1 he looks a nice each way play.
The 5.15 at Newbury looks on the face of it an open race but if you dig a bit deeper into some of the form I would question quite a bit of it. The one I really like is MARKOON who looks every inch a group performer to me. He just about came out on top in a messy novice race last time out which was his first run this season. I anticipate him to take a huge step forward from that and improve for the step up in trip here which should bring about plenty of improvement. Well bred, he might just be a bit of slow burner but connections have had plenty of success with similar types before and I think this lad could be the next off the production line.
Up at Ripon it is Great St Wilfrid day. The legend that is SUMMERGHAND is favourite and he must have a super chance despite what his form figures look like. He had no run in the Stewards Cup last time out but was travelling powerfully all the way to the line which suggests he is ready to go in soon. His mark compared to his best form is there for the taking.
But regular backers of Summerghand, like myself, will know he comes with risks attached so it’s definitely worth putting up another just in case. WOBWOBWOB catches my eye after his close third in this race last year and he usually comes into form around this time of year so at 10/1 he looks a solid alternative. Winner of the Ayr Silver Cup last year he has the class to win a race like this and his ability to stay further will certainly help as the uphill down dale nature of Ripon can catch a few out late on.
Newbury 3.00 – Be Frank
Newbury 5.15 – Markoon
Ripon 3.20 – Summerghand / Wobwobwob
