Saturday’s Bet365 Gold Cup winner Step Back will be aimed at the 2019 Grand National next term and has been introduced into the betting at 33/1 with BetVictor. I wouldn’t be in a rush to back him given he has a tendency to jump out to his right and it would be the Irish National at Fairyhouse next Easter that would be the target if he were mine.
Aidan O’Brien’s Gustav Klimt is 7/4 favourite at Betvictor for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday – there was significant rain forecast for the area yesterday (Monday) and Wednesday although it is likely to be dry for the rest of the week. Conditions should be perfect for the weekend.
Soft ground the order of the day at Nottingham today. They finished in a bit of a heap when Last Enchantment finished runner up at Lingfield (polytrack) on her reappearance and she has been raised 1lb for that effort. She must go close but preference is for Cosmopolitan Queen (3.00) who is certainly bred to be better than her current mark.
The selection is the sister to the Group 1 winner Arabian Queen and is likely to get further as the year progresses, but Jim Crowley takes over for the first time this afternoon and connections will be keen to get a win next to her name for breeding purposes.
Double Reflection (4.05) ran a cracker at Windsor last week – when just touched off by a Gosden hotpot – and can go one better running off the same mark. Karl Burke has his string well forward and the filly has a good draw in stall three for one who likes to go from the front.
The ground should be perfect for Multellie (4.35) who has been given a couple of months off since disappointing on Southwell‘s fibresand earlier in the year. Thistimenextyear has won on soft ground in the past and will be fit from hurdling. He represents a big danger but I am convinced the Tim Easterby six-year-old is well-treated at present.
At Kempton Brelades Bay (5.45) is taken to make a winning debut for Michael Bell – the filly cost £20,000 at a recent Breeze-Up sale and connections look to have found a winnable opportunity with last week’s Brighton winner Its The Only Way looking vulnerable under his 5lbs penalty.
A market move for newcomer On The Stage would be worth noting but Kodinar (6.15) showed plenty of promise at Ripon on her debut (soft ground) for William Haggas when a decent third and she can put that experience to good use this evening.
Arod (7.15) is a seven-year-old entire who had been plying his trade in Australia before joining David Simcock last year when he finished a good fifth in the Woodbine Mile in Canada. He receives 7lbs from Jallota and a bigger danger could come from the filly Poet’s Vanity who finished third in the Fred Darling on her seasonal reappearance last season.
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