BELL LOOKS TO IMPROVISE IN THE OPENER

17:00 Newmarket

I wouldn’t normally pick a two-year-old race to pickmy best bet of the meeting but there seems plenty in this contest that I am happy to rule out.

New Pursuit trained by Kevin Phillipart De Foy (0-3 at Newmarket) is amongst the favourites here. He won on his debut in a poor race at Epsom on Good/Soft ground. He looked well suited by a bit of cut there and will find totally different conditions at Newmarket on Friday night. It was a six-runner race he won at Epsom and all five horses beaten that day have run since and all have been beaten out of sight. For me New Pursuit is a poor favourite and I want to take him on.

Firth Of Clyde has had two runs, he was an excellent fourth on debut (2nd and 6th won next time) He was then second to a Mark Johnston horse at Epsom but beaten a comfortable five lengths there. For me he didn’t really improve from his debut and may be better when running in Nurseries.

Of the rest Amazon Prince won a poor race on debut and would need to improve here, his yard has a 22% strike rate on the All Weather with 2YO’s but only 8% on turf. This leaves the race open for a newcomer to win there are two with chances here. Risk Averse a £43,000 Dark Angel purchase is trained by Hugo Palmer who is flying with a 30% strike rate in the last fortnight. However, I am going to side with another newcomer. Improvise is a Ifraaj filly trained by Michael Bell who is having a cracking year with his two-year-olds with a 20% strike rate on turf. Improvise is part of a family the trainer knows well being out of a dual listed winner and sister to a decent horse who won on debut. She must have shown her trainer plenty at home as she holds an entry in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes.

IMPROVISE (WIN)

written by Steve Marriott

NEWMARKET SELECTIONS:

17:00 - IMPROVISE (WIN)

17:35 - RAATEA (WIN)

18:08 - COROEBUS (WIN)

18:38 - GREY FOX (WIN)

19:08 - SIENNA BREEZE (WIN)

19:38 - HYDROS (WIN)