Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Newmarket, Thirsk, Goodwood and Doncaster on Saturday. View selections below.
DISTANT STORM (3.35) is taken to extend Godolphin’s recent domination of the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The boys in blue have netted three of the last four renewals of the opening Classic of the season and Charlie Appleby’s Distant Storm can extend their winning sequence.
The colt, a dual winner at HQ, was last seen running third to Gewan and Gstaad in the Dewhurst Stakes last backend. Distant Storm was staying on steadily over that 7f trip, so today’s extra furlong may well see him overturn that form with Aidan O’Brien’s Gstaad.
The Ballydoyle colt landed short odds in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on fast ground at Dal Mar at the beginning of November, so the recent dry spell can only be seen as advantageous.
O’Brien has won the 2000 Guineas ten times but has endured a relatively barren spell since Magna Grecia landed the 2019 Classic.
Oxagon, representing John Gosden and Oisin Murphy, has a bit of ground to make up on Distant Storm and Gstaad on Dewhurst form but has fitness on his side after winning here in mid-April.
Bow Echo, unbeaten in three starts, has the services of Billy Loughnane and is near the head of the market.
On a trappy nine-race card DAIQUIRI BAY (4.45) can go well in the 1m 4f handicap.
Alan King’s four-year-old scored by five lengths on seasonal debut last May and his thirdplace in the 1m 6f Melrose Handicap at York’s Ebor meeting proved there are no stamina concerns over this trip.
Top weight Bellum Justum hasn’t been disgraced in Group company and will appreciate this drop into a handicap for the first time.
Gosden and Murphy team up with Gamrai, raised 9lb for his three lengths victory in the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton in late March.
The Sky Bet Thirsk Hunt Cup is always a fiercely competitive one-mile handicap and consistent BLUE RC (2.40) seems sure to give his running.
James Tate’s gelding, a four-time winner, bolted up here over seven furlongs last June. On his most recent outing in a hot affair at Newcastle, he looked all over the winner before Tyrrhenian Sea burst out of the pack inside the final furlong.
Sea Force, representing William Haggas, was sent off 7-4 favourite at Musselburgh last month but never showed. He has a bit to find with third placed Mirsky, a previous course and distance scorer here.
At Goodwood, a bold show is anticipated from STARTLED (5.05) in the 7f handicap.
The Richard Hughes-trained gelding led close home over this trip at Newmarket in mid-April and a 2lb rise seems fair.
The opening one-mile handicap on Doncaster’s evening programme sees Jack Jones fitting cheek-pieces on DECEM STAR (4.35).
The gelding wasn’t beaten far in fourth by Ed Walker’s Jeddaal at Catterick in early April and runner-up Red Spells Danger ran well in defeat at Southwell last week.
Tally Ho
Alan
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NB. All odds shown are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
