There is an interesting card at Fakenham and I am going to give another chance to Bach De Clermont (2.10) of Evan Williams whose string having been running well without striking gold of late. Buywise ran a cracker at Aintree for the stable at the weekend and was cut from 20 to 16/1 for the BetVictor Gold Cup with the sponsors.
The selection had been off the track for 12 months prior to his Uttoxeter run and I hope to see Paul Maloney race prominently on the Irish p-t-p winner who cost connections £170,000 last November.
I thought Jethro (3.40) ran well on his reappearance at Carlisle despite being beaten over 20 lengths and Brian Ellison’s 5-y-old can shed his maiden tag at the 14th time of asking in a very modest handicap. The form of his second to No Ceiling when beaten half a length is, arguably, the best form on offer.
Definitly Grey (4.10) has always looked as if he will improve with experience and he looks sure to appreciate stepping up to 3m for the first time under rules having won from a 6lbs lower mark last time at Southwell. Richard Johnson keeps the mount on this winning Irish point-to-pointer who was only beaten 8l in Ireland by Dan Skelton‘s Born Survivor who finished runner up at Aintree on Sunday.
In many ways the most interesting race on the card is the finale (for conditional and amateur jockeys only) with the 7lbs penalty for Ben Pauling‘s Calva D’Honore offset by his talented amateur riders’ claim but Gavin Sheehan got lost on The Caller (5.10) at Newton Abbot on debut and I felt she he should have won. The selection should be wiser with that experience under his belt and Harry Bannister is another well worth his claim albeit only 3lbs; he is a confident selection.
Back on the level at Nottingham and Coeur De Lion (3.20) can take the first division of the stayers’ event before embarking on a hurdling career for Alan King. The 3-y-old ran well on fast ground on his handicap debut (2lbs higher today) but certainly won’t be inconvenienced by any ease in the ground at Colwick Park.
Pointel is a favourite of mine but I’m not convinced he is crying out for today’s step up in trip and the filly Parnell’s Dream (3.50) has avoided the summer ground as she certainly appreciates a bit of cut in the ground. There are mixed messages in her pedigree as to whether or not she will appreciate today’s 1m 6f trip but she wasn’t stopping at Newmarket last time over a furlong shorter.
First Voyage (4.50) can make it third time lucky in the first-time cheek-pieces for Charlie Appleby; the gelding’s pedigree suggests he will want a bit of cut in the ground and the forecast good (good to soft places) looks ideal.
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