A busy day across both codes today with the return of Chepstow catching a few punters’ attention. I’m not going to get too heavily involved this early but I do think NATHANAEL GREEN is overpriced in the first race. It looks an ordinary novice hurdle in all honesty and with doubts over the fitness of some of Paul Nicholls‘ runners I certainly wouldn’t be scared to take on the favourite. Alastair Ralph’s classy flat recruit was all the rage for his hurdle debut last year but reportedly bled hence why he was pulled up and has not been seen since over hurdles. A couple of spins on the flat showed signs of rustiness but no doubt provided connections with a few nice days out ahead of what I guess will the real aim and that is a full winter hurdling. Johnny Burke is booked to ride and 20/1 looks far too big.
Back to the flat now, and MIDNIGHT THUNDER seems to be all the rage for the Cornwallis Stakes which could say plenty for his chance given others have probably achieved more to date. Visually, he has looked the real deal and that is what has impressed me the most as I tend to trust my eye more than anything else especially when it comes to 2 year olds. Oisin Murphy has a brilliant record when teaming up with Saeed Bin Suroor and I anticipate that partnership to flourish again this afternoon.
I tipped up JANUARY in this month’s copy of Racing Ahead for the Fillies Mile at 20/1 and although she is a lot shorter now Ryan Moore has stuck with her I still think she is a cracking bet. There wasn’t a great deal between her and the favourite here last time at Doncaster with my filly conceding first run. The fact shrewd connections allow her to take her chance again here speaks volumes as they will be confident of reversing the form maybe with a more enterprising ride from the front drawing the sting out of Desert Flower’s turn of foot. 13/2 looks tasty.
The Old Rowley Cup probably isn’t as deep a renewal as some previous but it will still take some winning. I like the claims of SUN GOD who I thought was the winner last time at York until he faded badly in the final 2f. On the back of that run, the drop back to 1m 4f here looks a wise move and off a feather weight I expect him to go close.
Up at York I think this could be the day BE FRANK gets his head in front again. Ian Williams has now taken over training duties which seems to have sparked a revival in recent runs where he has certainly shaped like he isn’t too far away from his next win. This drop in grade on soft ground might just prove the key to unlocking the door to the winner’s enclosure
Chepstow 1.35 – Nathanael Greene
Newmarket 1.47 – Midnight Thunder
Newmarket 3.35 – January
Newmarket 4.10 – Sun God
York 4.55 – Be Frank
Saturday
The 4 year old hurdle at Chepstow is always an interesting event as not all the top juveniles from last season hold the form in the book so it proves quite a challenge trying to find the winner. I’m hopeful LATIN VERSE has improved over the summer as it looks like connections have teed him up nicely for this assignment. Anthony Charlton has taken back the training duties off Syd Hosie and has given him a spin on the level at Kempton presumably to prepare him for this. Some of his form last season was tidy and his performance at Ludlow was very impressive. A little bit of ease in the ground will be appreciated and I can see him outshining some sexier types here.
My best bet tomorrow has to be MAGICO for the Marco Botti yard at York. I was surprised that connections kept running him on firm ground through the first part of summer as he clearly wasn’t enjoying it and on breeding alone he was always going to be suited by a softer surface. He proved this at Kempton when winning a nice race there over 1m 4f before proving a big eye catcher at Doncaster last time. He was the only horse to come from the rear of the field and get close to the two front runners, eventually finishing a close third. I expect this race to be a much more evenly run event and the softer ground at York will certainly play to his strengths. He has no weight at all on his back and is 20/1 so I’m really quite sweet on his chance tomorrow.
In the big race itself, the Cesarewitch, the usual suspects dominate the head of the market. I’m going down the tried and tested route however with RUN FOR OSCAR. A classy dual purpose performer he was unlucky to bump into one at the Royal meeting otherwise he would have come away with some winning black type. Charles Byrnes can certainly prepare him for the big day and I would hazard a guess this would have been the plan for a while given he won the race in 2022. He doesn’t have the burden of top weight which you would assume a horse of his nature might do and with Rossa Ryan riding as well as he is at present, his booking has to be a massive plus point.
Chepstow 2.10 – Latin Verse
York 2.05 – Magico
Newmarket 3.40 – Run For Oscar
