Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting gets underway and the return to the Rowley Mile sees a cracking eight-race card on show.
The feature Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes (3.35) looks a difficult one to predict on paper with little form on show and plenty of impressive debut winners heading the market. It's tough to be sure just what those fancy profiled horses achieved first-time-out and with Newmarket's Rowley Mile not the easiest of place for juveniles, it could pay to side with something at longer odds.
Charlie Hills has enjoyed a fine season with his two-year-olds, highlighted by Iberian's success in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster's St Leger meeting, and it's his runner, Zabriskie Point that catches my eye at a double figure price.
An official rating of 93 probably means he needs to find some improvement from somewhere, but this will be his first outing over seven furlongs on a decent surface. He seemed to relish the step up in distance when battling on well to land a Thirsk novice event last-time-out and although it was only a workmanlike performance, I'm not sure he was in love with the testing conditions that day.
It's his York handicap form that really catches the eye and you'd have to say it's probably one of the races of the season in terms of throwing up future winners. Once again, Charlie Hills' charge looked to be crying out for seven furlongs having stayed on pleasing from the rear of the field to grab fourth following a tardy start. The runner-up, Starlust, has since beaten the Mill Reef first and third in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton, while the third-placed horse, Room Service, landed the valuable sales race at Doncaster and is now rated 102.
Obviously, Zabriskie Point will need to improve to land this Group 3 prize, but I do think this Blue Point colt has more to offer this season and with experience likely to be a sizeable plus, a big run could be on the cards at juicy odds.
Selection: Zabriskie Point – General 14/1
Earlier on the card, I'm happy to take a chance on the class act in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Premier Fillies' Handicap (3.00), Gale Force Maya.
The Michael Dods-trained filly was given some lofty targets at the start of the campaign following a fruitful season as a six-year-old. Things haven't really gone to plan in four outings this season but she's now 6lb lower and too well-handicapped to ignore in my book.
You only have to go back three runs to find her finishing a length behind the Group 1-placed Swingalong in the Group 3 William Hill Summer Stakes at York. Her latest outing in handicap company was disappointing but it's interesting connections reach for the first-time blinkers, and it wouldn't be at all surprising were that to do the trick.
Furthermore, Adam Farragher takes off a valuable 3lb from this classy mare and with likely quick ground to suit, she can go close in her bid to record a third course and distance success.
Selection: Gale Force Maya – General 6/1
Elsewhere on the card, with firms offering extra places (Sky Bet – 5 places) in the National Stud 'Excellence As Standard' Handicap (5.18), I couldn't resist including the bottom-weight Ranger Thunderbolt as an each-way selection.
To my calculations, trainer Robyn Brisland is yet to saddle a winner at either Newmarket track but that wouldn't put me off his unexposed three-year-old.
The gelded son of Dragon Pulse found plenty of improvement to make a winning handicap debut off a mark of 65 over this trip at Bath in July, before just getting outstayed when going up in trip in more testing conditions at Newbury (finished second) later that month.
The winner of that contest, Plus Point, looks a strong stayer and has subsequently scored in emphatic style at Brighton to give the form a solid look. Ranger Thunderbolt certainly travelled best that day over the mile-and-a-quarter trip on soft ground and I'd hazard a guess back on a sounder surface over this stiff mile, he remains well-handicapped off a mark of 69.
Selection: Ranger Thunderbolt – General 13/2
We head to Southwell for our final wager and I'm banking on Sniper's Eye putting his experience to good use in order to get off the mark in the At The Races App Market Movers Novice Stakes at 7.00.
An official mark of 82, combined with an RPR of 91, set a clear standard for this novice stakes event and it'll be disappointing if Sniper's Eye cannot get his head in front.
David Simcock's gelding did little wrong when fifth in a decent Newmarket (July) handicap last month especially given he raced more towards the centre of the track (those towards the far side looked at an advantage).
The form of his second-place finish behind the 95-rated Imperial Emperor on the July Course earlier this season looks rock-solid for a novice event of this nature and a replication of that effort will surely see him make a winning all-weather debut for a yard in decent form.
Selection: Sniper's Eye – General 11/8
