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Preview
10 July 2008
4:55 Newmarket HIGHLAND
MERIDIAN GARDENS HANDICAP (CLASS 3) (3yo+,0-95) Winner £9,714.00 5f
SOFT
Prior Warning - not sure what this
son of Barathea Ideal trip is as he is dropped to eh shortest trip
of his short UK career so far and is also dropped down from
contesting top handicaps as they choose against a tilt over seven
again in the Bunbury cup and even though the tough conditions
underfoot should suit this horse, he looks to have a tough enough
task under top weight in this handicap today and no surprise to see
him as one of the rank outsiders in this.
Bertoliver - Made all to win at the
Chester cup meeting and that track appeared to play to his strength
that day with his style of running and despite a fair effort under
quick conditions at York after, he has since been found wanting and
looks plenty high enough in the weights for this run on conditions
that should be more then plenty soft enough underfoot and has
nothing in hand on this drop down in class with the Chester form
potentially short of top class form.
Ebraam - Finished behind Bertoliver
at Chester and has solid claims today of reversing that form with
the conditions more in his favour then that rival as I felt he is
capable of better then he showed that day. The run prior to that on
ground with some ease in was by far his best effort so far this
season as he ran into a decent rival in Utmost Respect in a
conditions race and wasn't disgraced. The return to five furlongs on
this stiffer track with cut in the ground should see him run a
decent race even though at the weights he is likely to find one or
two to good today.
Sir Edwin Landseer - Has been
running in Dubai and makes a return to UK turf today for the first
time since summer 2006 and is sure to need a couple of runs to get
up to speed on this summer campaign and the market should tell us
all we need to know on this horse.
The Jobber - not been in the best of
form of late and hard to see him returning to his best here today
from this current mark and with a exposed profile needs to drop down
in the weights before he is likely to strike again. The best effort
so far this season looks to be his run at Goodwood a track he often
seems to run well at, that day he was beaten by Elharmi on quick
ground and even though the winner that day won kindly enough and has
conditions maybe not as much in favour, it looks likely that he will
confirm the form here today.
Northern Empire - Yet to find the
same form on the Turf as he has achieved on the all weather and the
ease in the ground isn't likely to suit enough for him to return to
his best performances that would see him going close in this class
of this weight. The run at York where he is closely matched with
Bertoliver and Special Day doesn't read to well, but that is the
best piece of form on offer that he has achieved on turf this season
and should reverse the form with those two rivals as he continue to
drop and look very well handicapped and cant be far of winning on
turf when returning to more favourable conditions underfoot.
Sundae - Wasn't totally knocked
about at Sandown at the weekend where he was one paced under a hand
and heels ride by today's pilot and is interesting that he is turned
out so quickly for a yard that horses seem to be coming in to a rich
vein of form. The easier conditions underfoot should be ideal for
this horse and based on the Doncaster run where he ran more to his
merit in a race that was ran at a strong clip with the potentially
Group class he done well to finish 4L behind that horse under a high
weight and with the conditions more to his liking a lower weight and
a drop back to five furlongs likely to suit on a track that he has
won at he is very much of interest here with the silver cup form
stacking up well and that Doncaster race throwing up winners and
placed horses.
Canadian Danehill - Seems to have
paid for the achievements of last seasons and it appears the heavy
campaign has started to catch up with this horse that is developing
a regressive profile. Starting to come back to some sort of form as
he showed at Beverley with a few glimpses of a return to form. That
was the best performance he has put up for some time, however it
doesn't look the strongest piece of form and the speed figure he
took from that race suggest that he is below this level on turf
despite being weighted to run with justice now the handicapper has
taken some ease on him and may struggle under the conditions today
to reverse the form with lord of the reins who finished in front.
Elharmi - Winner at Goodwood 3 runs
back and should confirm form with the Jobber on that running and
this listed winner as a 2yo is still potentially well handicapped
despite being raised back up the weights for that win, however he
didn't entirely train on from 2 to 3 and he looks like a weak
sprinting type who could struggle to pick up races when the ground
is on the easy side as he seems to be at his best when let loose on
quick ground and even though he should confirm the form of that
Goodwood run, the ground has gone against him and he is held by
others in this handicap.
Northern Dare - has returned in good
form this season and the performance at the Curragh is one of the
strongest any of these runners have put up in the last 12 months and
could add to the Dandy Nichols sprint war chest that has been built
up by the trainer landing these sort of handicaps. The easy ground
shouldn't be a problem and the course is ideal for this horse who
showed great pace last season over his 5F before getting headed and
battling back to finish a close up 3rd to Kings Apostle who went
well in the Wokingham. No surprise to see him favourite with
conditions in his favour and there is more to come from this
sprinter I feel.
Luscivious - Loves ground with cut
in and has it ideal under foot today with two good runs already on
soft ground and this Southwell fibre sand lover could well run his
biggest race to date on turf with plenty of juice in the ground now.
However on what he has achieved to date he does look handicapped up
to his best on turf and even though lightly weighted enough to do
himself justice under the conditions, he may not be able to perform
as well as he did at Southwell earlier in the season which is his
best form to date this season.
Special Day - has been frustrating
so far this season and there is a York sprint handicap in this horse
when he gets ideal conditions most probably at this level and is
starting to look handicapped to do well in this sphere. The ground
however today looks plenty soft enough for his chances and Barry
hills will most probably use this race to get him revaluated by the
handicapper before striking of his new weight. Could struggle to
confirm form with Northern Empire here.
Zowington - Overcame a tardy start
to stamp his class on a handicap on firm ground at Lingfield and
this talented horse could well be on his way back to the form he
showed when running Stanley Goodspeed close at Haydock as a 4yo and
underlines what a strong hand the Wall yard has in this race with
that Lingfield effort standing him in good stead as he wont mind the
ease in the ground. The time recorded at lingfield was a good one
and made up for the lack of class in that race. Still well
handicapped even though he has a regressive profile and should be
involved if getting the run of the race.
Kay Two - Hasn't been in the best of
form lately and the performance put up at Chester recently suggested
that he wasn't about to strike again on turf, however his finishing
position last season at Wolverhampton to Chief editor says he still
retains his ability and with the prep run out of the way he could
bounce back to form he showed last season as he is well handicapped
near the foot of the weights in this handicap and with the ground in
his favour he has a chance here with this track likely to suit more
then Wolverhampton if you was to base his chances on that run.
Fantasy Explorer - has been knocking
on the door without actually getting in the money and the Haydock
run at this level gives him some claims as he has become well
handicapped in the weights if you take the best of his form. Still
quite unexposed he could well show improvement on this softer
surface as I felt he got a little outpaced at Haydock before staying
on. The stiffer track should suit and the ground may just help him
close the gap on those that he has been chasing home. Should confirm
the York form with both Special Day & Elharmi and be interesting
to see if he can reverse the form with lord of the rains here today.
Lord of the Reins - Best judged on
the York form that seems to stand up more as a guide to this race
for this horse as the Beverley form didn't shape to me as a strong
race on the clock or how it panned out and the York run behind
Sohraab that has been franked b y the 2nd in that Beverley race is
not without chance in this handicap with his liking for soft ground
in the past. Mainly thought of as a all weather horse he has shown
so far that he does handle turf to a decent level as well and with a
low weight in this race and with the York form at this level
standing up to the test he could well bounce back to some form after
that disappointing run last time.
Digital - has been picking up prize
money on the lower circuit and takes a step back up in class to try
and pick up a bigger prize for Mick Channon who knows this horse in
side out, the slow ground today will no doubt suit this horse and
the run at Sailsbury when 3rd to Misaro under 9 stone 6lbs was a
fairly decent piece of form despite being at a lower level then he
runs at today. Bottom weight will no doubt help this horse whose
recent form is genuinely below class 3 handicap level, but he has
the ability and with conditions suiting and a low weight, a strong
enough gallop will enable him to work his way into the race under
Stuart Hitchcott.
Verdict - Northern Dare ran a
blinder at this meeting 12 months ago and can go one better this
time around in this all age handicap, the run in Ireland was
impressive and there is no doubt he has more to offer with cut in
the ground for sprint king Dandy Nichols who could have had plenty
of runners in this race. He is taken to justify favouritism with the
wall pair the most feared in this handicap.
Advised bet - Northern
Dare 4 pts win @ 11/4 (BF3's)
Well Chief
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