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15:00 Cheltenham
A competitive 17-runner Handicap Hurdle from Prestbury Park is where our action starts.
Might Bite was a comprehensive winner at Kempton when last seen and the ten-pound rise in the weights doesn’t seem too harsh. He has had just five career starts meaning there could be more to come from this seven year old and he has a course win to his name. He’s a son of Scorpion, so wouldn’t want too much rain to get into the ground – he was third of six in a Newbury bumper on heavy ground.
Drumlee Sunset was a facile winner at Warwick for Philip Hobbs and Champion Jockey elect Richard Johnson. The handicapper has left his mark unchanged but he was able to dictate in what seemed a weak race. There could be more to offer from him back up in trip after shaping nicely last time when running on well from the final flight.
The one that looks overpriced is the northern raider Double W’s for Malcolm Jefferson. He’s been ultra consistent in his career so far only finishing outside the top three on one occasion. He caught the eye in a Novice Hurdle here over two-miles when third to A Hare Breath. The six year old won at Haydock last month when travelling powerful and going clear of the second nicely. He is a horse with a high cruising speed and could hit the frame.
Harry Fry’s yard went through a bit of a lull following the Festival here last month but they’ve slowly started to come back into a bit of form with winners at Exeter yesterday. Vivant Poeme hasn’t been seen for 235-days but looking at his record he is a spring ground horse, so the rain sodden ground may be against him.
Double W’s (E/W)
17:05 Newmarket
The market speaks volumes for this ten-furlong Maiden on the Rowley Mile where the going changed to ‘soft’ during Day One of the Craven Meeting.
John Gosden’s three year olds started very well yesterday with Swiss Range, Nathra and Castle Harbour all successful. Satish can keep that run going here stepping up in trip, which looks ideal based on his pedigree. On debut in September he was slowly away and when the penny dropped he was staying on to finish a close fourth. The form of that race has worked out quite well and up against a few without experience is a worthy favourite.
Roger Varian saddles the unraced Point Of View. In this calendar year his three year olds have a 40% strike rate, so if fully tuned up for his first racecourse start could be interesting. He’s a son of New Approach and is related to a St Leger winner in Mastery, so does have a stamina in his pedigree.
Daqeeq has already had two runs in maidens as a two year old beaten by Mengli Khan on debut, he was beaten yesterday in the Feilden Stakes, and then he was beaten at short odds-on at Wolverhampton. He shaped as if the step up in trip should help his chances of getting off the mark, but once he’s run here he’ll qualify for a handicap mark and that is something Simon Crisford could be plotting a path for.
Satish (WIN)
18:50 Kempton
Division One of a 0-70 Handicap on the polytrack at Kempton sees a compact betting market.
Mark Usher’s Misu Pete is in search of a hat-trick after two narrow wins at Wolverhampton. The latest win being 17-days ago when he was drawn wide and ridden prominently holding off the late challengers. He’s only on a mark of 62 and despite the narrow margin of victories he has shown likeable traits.
Veeraya is one of two at the head of the market but this son of Rail Link has followed home Misu Pete home on his last two runs. The six year old has only won once in 25 starts and that came back in 2012. Julia Feilden’s last two runners have both won, so this one is worth noting.
Seek The Fair Land won a Lingfield claimer a week ago under Adam Kirby, so has to carry a six-pound penalty. Back into a handicap this ten-year-old looks to have an uphill task. Exalter is the other at the fore in the betting. He’s won three of his last five with two coming here over a mile. The drop in trip didn’t seem a problem at Lingfield and he is likely to run his race.
Misu Pete (E/W)