Consistent heavy rainfall overnight will have had an impact on the majority of tracks across the UK today, with Newmarket likely to be particularly testing conditions.
Flora Of Bermuda's connections have been duly rewarded for their rain dance last night and significant ease in the ground definitely gives her every chance in the opening Cornwallis Stakes (1.50). However, this will be her seventh outing of the season and with some tough performances on testing ground in recent months, I just wonder if those exertions will show today.
With that in mind, Midnight Affair looks the play. The selection actually beat Flora Of Bermuda in quite a convincing style in the Hilary Needler Conditions Stakes event at Beverley on her second start. She lost all real winning chance when slowly away in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June but ran on nicely into midfield under considerate handling and I like the fact she arrives a fresh horse having been given plenty of time off subsequently.
As is the case with most of these, soft ground is certainly a question mark, but her dam broke her maiden on ground described as officially soft and there's definitely a chance she'll cope with it.
The Richard Fahey-trained daughter of Dark Angel will have strengthened up nicely since June and at the current prices, she looks well worth an each-way bet.
Selection: Midnight Affair – General 12/1
Eight two-year-old fillies' will do battle for the Group 1 bet365 Fillies' Mile (4.10) prize on Saturday as they bid to establish their Classic credentials on Newmarket's Rowley Mile.
Classical Song looks like a fascinating prospect for the Ralph Beckett team, but she has plenty to find on the form standard that Shuwari sets and with 2/1 now freely available about the latter, it's tough to argue she isn't the value play.
Ollie Sangster's juvenile star travelled powerfully before picking up smartly to make an impressive winning debut at Newbury and quickly proved herself to be a smart filly in the making by landing the Listed EBF Star Stakes at Sandown (soft) on her second start. The runner-up that day, Fallen Angel, has since won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes to give the form arguably the perfect boost, while the third-placed horse Soprano has since placed twice in group company.
Overnight rainfall has seen the ground change to soft and that will pose no issues for Ollie Sangster's filly, who if anything looked uneasy on quick ground when runner-up in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs here last time.
Although she never looked like pegging back a more prominently positioned rival that day, she still picked up in impressive style and posted some taking closing sectionals. The Ollie Sangster-trained daughter of New Bay suggested she'd relish the step up to a mile back on softer ground with a final three-furlong time of 33.70 (comfortably the quickest in the field), and she can stamp her class as a filly with real Classic credentials next season by providing her first-season trainer with a debut Group 1 success.
Selection: Shuwari – General 2/1
Away from Newmarket, Newcastle hosts some all-weather action and I fancy Tropical Air to regain the winning thread in the Northumbria Leisure For Personal Service Nursery at 7.30 this evening.
Charlie Johnston's charge has been a revelation since being gelded and switched to handicap company, with three quickfire wins from his last four outings.
His winning run may have come to an end over seven furlongs at Lingfield last time, but that doesn't tell the whole story and he still showed enough to suggest a 2lb higher mark may not be an issue.
The son of Showcasing pulled hard in a muddling contest at Lingfield but to his credit, he finished off strongly under hands and heels riding to finish a close-up fourth.
Dropping back in trip looks an obvious plus given he won with any amount in hand over tonight's course and distance on his penultimate outing, and with a favourable draw against the stands' side rail in stall twelve, the Charlie Johnston-trained gelding should take plenty of stopping with Jason Hart, who won on him two starts ago, also back in the plate.
Selection: Tropical Air – General 15/8
