PADDOCKS PATENT (THURSDAY)

15.05 Newbury

John Gosden is no stranger to success at Newbury and he looks to have another excellent chance of gracing the winner’s enclosure here again today. The stable’s exciting three-year-old Snow Moon lines up with an excellent chance to follow up her recent success. The twice-raced filly was third on debut to Oaks runner-up Architecture and then stepped up on that effort when an easy winner of a hot looking Maiden at Nottingham last time out. The impressive manner of the victory that day coupled with the three-year-old being heavily eased in the closing stages suggests there is much more to come and the Gosden may just have another really exciting filly on their hands. Frankie Dettori is booked to ride for the powerful connections, ground and trip will be right up her street and this looks like the ideal opportunity to pick up some black type, so Snow Moon is the confident selection.

The rest of the field contains a number of unexposed rivals. The main danger will likely lie with Sir Michael Stoute’s Abingdon who, like the selection, herself earned a first win last time out on only her  second trip to the track. That win was over today’s trip and that victory came in a strong looking Ascot maiden so no surprise to see her make her presence felt, but she will have to be something special to beat the selection. Another horse who could figure at a bigger price is Roger Varian’s Toumar. The filly won on debut on the all weather at Wolverhampton, but disappointed next time out at Chelmsford. She remains with plenty of potential for the step up in trip, but does have a bit to find on her turf debut in the first time head gear.

SNOW MOON (WIN)

20.15 Haydock

A tricky looking handicap on the face of it over the mile at Haydock, but the answer may lie with the in-form Karl Burke team. They line up What Say You and the four-year-old looks poised for a big run after a solid third in a similar contest at Nottingham last month and despite disappointing in its previous outing in a listed contest, the return to quicker ground could be the key to unlocking further improvement in the lightly raced filly who makes only her seventh ever start so there should be plenty more to come and she gets the nod to continue the stables’ red hot recent run at a decent each way price.

Heisman is an interesting contender as the five-year-old gelding makes his debut for the shrewd George Baker yard. He put in a number of decent efforts in defeat for Olly Stevens last term and comes in here off 1lb lower than for his last outing, but that was 244 days ago and he may just need the run.

Intiwin for the Richard Fahey team looks the big danger to the selection given that he can run here off 5lb lower than his last winning mark. That win was around this time last year and the ground has come good for the four-year-old gelding as well, but he has been out of sorts since including two runs this term so the selection looks the more solid option.

WHAT SAY YOU (E/W)

20.45 Haydock

The penultimate contest looks the perfect opportunity for Ruth Carr’s luckless runner Lexington Place to finally break the six-year-old’s winless run. The gelding looked set to end that run last time out over today’s trip at Redcar, but was pipped on the line to lose out by a head and a repeat of that run would make him hard to beat here. He is 6lb higher than winning this contest 12 months ago, but has won twice off higher marks since then and run well in defeat on a number of occasions to boot. The course and distance win plus his preferred ground here makes him the standout selection in this field.

Bashiba is an obvious danger having only just been beaten back in third by the selection last time out and can go close again here with a clear run, but there is nothing obvious to suggest he can turn around that form.

The main danger will likely come from Mick Easterby’s Bosham. The six-year-old was a progressive sprinter on the all weather earlier this term winning three times and if he can transfer that kind of improved form back to the turf then he is potentially well treated here. The major problem is the horse has a record of just one win from 23 starts on the turf so he may have to settle for the minor placings against an in-form selection.

LEXINGTON PLACE (WIN)