Compared to some of the top class racing we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying in recent weekends, tomorrow and Sunday is lacking a bit in quality, and that’s GG.COM being polite! But, there are a few competitive races worth looking at!
At Newmarket tomorrow, the 2.55 is a Class 2 six furlong handicap worth the best part of £20k to the winner and is probably the best race on a very modest card. Pearl Ice is a potential favourite and will look to follow up his recent win under a 6lb penalty under jockey Graham Gibbons. Es Que Love made a pleasing start to the season with two victories but is much higher up the handicap now and may find it difficult to win here after failing to show the same early season zip on his last two runs.
Swiss Cross is inconsistent but could be coming back to form following a solid fourth on Derby day at Epsom last weekend. The same can be said of Lexi’s Hero in terms of ability to maintain form, but Frankie Dettori is an eye-catching jockey booking here for Kevin Ryan.
The tentative each way vote goes to former high class sprinter High Standing, who now races for Australian handler Jeremy Gask. Ryan Moore rides the seven year old and has won four times on him over the years. High Standing is a class act on his day and has slipped to a mark of 100. In an open race he might run ok at a good price.
Up at Chester in the 3.10, we quite like the look of Area Fifty One to improve from last month’s seasonal debut at York. Dr Marwan Koukash is almost unstoppable at his favourite racecourse this season and the jockey Franny Norton rides this course better than most. Area Fifty One was very a consistent front runner last year for William Muir. He changed hands for a cool 85,000Gns and is now at Richard Fahey’s yard. If the horse can get across from a pretty tricky draw, he has to be involved at the finish.
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Over at the Curragh on Sunday, Aiden O’Brien’s Learn will take all the beating in the Listed Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1m2f. This son of Galileo was a classy two year old and was last seen chasing home French Fifteen in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. Just five lengths behind his champion Derby winner and stablemate Camelot in the Racing Post Trophy before that, he is sure to go off at short odds on his belated seasonal reappearance. Sharestan from the John Oxx stable looks likely to give him most to do, having put in some good performances behind Windsor Palace and Famous Name on his last two runs.
As we said, no real top class action this weekend, but good luck whatever you choose to back. Royal Ascot is coming soon, the summer is only hotting up!! Although looking out the window here, you would think it’s the middle of winter, not mid-June. On a brighter note, Euro 2012 starts this evening to help tie us sports fans through any poor racing days- so there isn’t a lack of action to get involved with from a punting perspective!! Off the record, we quite fancy a little double on Poland and Russia to get the tournament off to a good start tonight.
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