After a busy week at York, Matty Sutcliffe is on the search for more value winners on Saturday, with three best bets from Newbury and Newmarket.
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1:05 Newmarket – JCB Handicap (Class 4) (3yo 0-85) – Spirit Of Leros 20/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
David Egan is profitable to follow when teaming up with Marco Botti (£22.66+) and returns to ride the No Nay Never gelding SPIRIT OF LEROS for the first time since winning on him last August. He caught the eye on 2yo debut last term when staying on well for fifth in a typically competitive looking Ascot maiden, before taking a Lingfield Novice Stakes in good style by three lengths, with the fourth finishing the season rated 96.
He bounced back from a poor effort in listed company with a comfortable win on handicap debut at Newbury, with the second now rated 29lbs higher having rattled off a hat trick subsequently. He was again disappointing this time at Ripon but that race was dominated by prominent riders so we can perhaps draw a line through that.
A brief spell in Meydan over winter came to no fruition, but there was optimism in his five length fourth at Beverley when failing to go through the gears after suffering for a passage once the pace lifted. He’s better off in the weights with the winner We Dare To Dream who had a typically easy time of things on the front end there, and perhaps the return to a straight track will see Spirit Of Leros in a better light.
1:25 Newmarket – Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes (Listed Race) (Class 1) (3yo) – Strong Warrior 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
A chance is taken on the unexposed STRONG WARRIOR here, who’s unbeaten in his two racecourse starts and with Richard Fahey having something of a slow start to the season, I’d expect he’ll come on for his last effort at Pontefract.
The Mehmas colt was a taking winner on debut at Ayr when well backed to overcome greenness and draw three lengths clear from Hammer The Hammer, who’s franked that form nicely since with form figures of 2111, now rated 100. The third has won since and the fourth won twice subsequently now rated 88, so the form’s worked out nicely.
It was pleasing to see him make a winning return to action at Pontefract the last day, and while he only just hung on to beat the Karl Burke-trained Veblen Good, he shaped as if in need of that run from the front and both the second and third had some good form as two-year-olds.
He’s stepping up into the unknown here against horses proven in pattern class, but he has as much upsides as any of them and strikes me as the type to flourish in a better race of this nature.
2:00 Newbury – Trade Nation London Gold Cup Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo) – Wave Rider 11/2 2pt WIN
WAVE RIDER has to be considered for a yard that farmed this contest in recent years, taking four of the last ten renewals.
The Belardo gelding was a relatively inexpensive purchase at 45,000 GNS as a yearling, but he’s shown plenty of promise in his three efforts thus far and a mark of 83 can underestimate him. Wave Rider was an eye-catcher on debut when staying on at Sandown over seven furlongs to be beaten three lengths by Bay City Roller who franked that form healthily when landing the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last time out now rated 110.
He again kept on over seven furlongs to be beaten a length at Yarmouth with the winner now rated 94 after winning last time out, the second won next time out now rated 86, the fourth’s rated 84 having won twice since and Power Fizz in fifth has won three times since now rated 91.
That form is rock solid and a mark of 83 will surely underestimate him in that respect now stepping up in trip, which again he looked in need of when reappearing at Wolverhampton last month to be beaten a head by Red Sand who was given an opening mark of 90, and wasn’t disgraced off that mark at York on Wednesday beaten three lengths, with the third there only a length behind him in the same contest at York off 88.
The pedigree backs up that visual suspicion that he’ll improve for this trip, and this has surely been the plan all year for a yard who would’ve had a number of candidates in mind for this.
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