Twelve colts were declared for the Irish Derby at the Curragh on Saturday including Saxon Warrior fourth when an odds on favourite in the Epsom Derby last time, but a brilliant winner of the Guineas at Newmarket on his seasonal debut. This is something of a retrieval mission for the colt who ran a strange race at Epsom and I certainly won’t be getting involved at 8/13 with BetVictor.
The ITV 4 cameras are at Newcastle this evening and in the opener, I expect a big run from Michael Bell’s Artarmon (5.45) who looks sure to appreciate this stiff mile-and-a-half having run well in first time cheek-pieces at Sandown earlier in the month.
PJ McDonald takes over in the saddle and he may have most to fear from hat-trick seeking Quantatmental representing Tom Dascombe. McDonald has been in the saddle for the latter’s last two wins but takes over on Michael Bell’s gelding this evening.
Evergate (7.30) is hardly a serial winner (2 from 20) but it may be significant that one of his best recent runs was under tonight’s jockey Gerard Mosse when runner up at Ascot back in October. The French pilot is back on board this evening for Robert Cowell and the four-year-old is visored for the first time tonight.
The 4-y-old is 10/1 at BetVictor and can reward each way support. Eastern Impact heads the betting at 5/1 (from 11/2) with BetVictor and he looks a worthy market leader dropping back to the minimum trip.
I hope it is a good night for PJ McDonald as he also takes the mount on Four White Socks (8.05) for Luca Cumani in the listed fillies’ contest over ten furlongs. The selection has only had two career starts but looked potentially smart when a cosy winner of a Goodwood maiden last time and at 7/2 with BetVictor she can improve past her more exposed rivals.
The three 3-year-olds in the race (also Rasima and Magnolia Springs) receive 12lbs from the older fillies and mares and I will be disappointed if Four White socks does not run a big race – albeit she has never raced on tapeta. This represents a drop in grade for BetVictor’s 5/2 favourite Smart Call who finished third in the Middleton Stakes last time, but that didn’t appear a vintage renewal of that Group 2 contest and I would prefer to side with the undoubted potential of the Cumani filly.
Newmarket Warrior (6.55) is only 2lbs higher than when scoring over C&D back in March and all three career wins have come over this evening’s C&D. Iain Jardine’s 7-y-old has never won from a mark as high as his current mark, but he has run some cracking races in defeat from this and indeed higher marks in the past. He looks to have been laid out for tonight’s contest coming back from a two-month lay-off. Jamie Gormley has been in the saddle for two of his three career wins and is good value for his 5lbs claim.
At Doncaster this afternoon Kareena Kapoor (2.30) is taken to go one better than when runner up at Yarmouth on debut to a filly (Pretty Pollyanna) who finished fifth in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot two weeks ago. She is taken to go one better for the yard of Simon Crisford who broke his Royal Ascot duck courtesy of Ostilio last week.
Arabian Gift (4.00) has not been seen since finishing second over 7f here over 12 months ago and she is certainly bred for the job having cost over half-a-million gns as a yearling. The daughter of Dubawi holds an entry in the Gp 1 Irish Oaks at the Curragh next month and she remains a filly of some potential for Charlie Appleby.
It could be a good day for Simon Crisford who saddles Cape Liberty under a 6lbs penalty for her facile C&D success in a fillies’ only contest 12 days ago. She would be carrying 2lbs more if the race were to be run 24-hours later and she can follow up in this stronger contest.
Know Your Limit (8.30) is 2lbs higher than when runner up at Leicester last month. The selection met trouble in running on that occasion and would have gone close with a clear passage up the far rail. Note the winner has gone on to score at Newcastle. The three-year-old Chief Ironside looks the obvious danger and this is the time when we should be looking closely at three-year-olds against older horses given their weight-for-age concession.
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