2.45pm - British EBF Novice Stakes
There is not really much to go off in terms of form for this contest, given the fact that there are a few first-time-out horses, as well as some who have only had the one run so far.
With that in mind, I am siding with the horse with some nice experience under his belt for Richard Hannon and that is Principality, who is also ridden by Oisin Murphy. Oisin doesn't usually ride many of Richard’s horses, so that is an eye-catching jockey booking for me, and given the fact he ran very well in a Newmarket novice race on debut, he is the one they all have to beat here.
That race was won by a Godolphin favourite, Ancient Truth, who was sent off 5/2 in the market, so the form of that race could be pretty decent in the long run. Principality broke well and travelled nicely throughout the race, and even kept on well as they went to the line, and with that valuable learning experience under his belt, I think he easily has the talent to win a race of this nature.
These novice races at Newmarket usually bring out a few nice types, and are usually red-hot contests, so I think we could have another nice one to come out of it here.
- Selection - Principality (To win)
3.55pm - Listed Weatherbys / British EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies Stakes
I am very excited to see how Sea Just In Time gets on now stepping up in class on just her 2nd ever career run. Obviously, she does lack the experience of most of these who have had more runs than her, but she has been nurtured nicely by Willam Haggas as we never saw her as a two-year-old last season. Also the fact she won so nicely on debut does make me think she is a black-type filly in the making.
Her debut effort was over 1m2f on good ground at Newmarket, which in itself is pretty decent form already, suggesting she must have bundles of talent in the locker. She was actually pretty slow away and was kept at the rear throughout, but it was the smooth headway she made around 2 furlongs from home, before running a little green in the closing stages to win going away by a little under 5 lengths that made her a very impressive debut performer that day.
She has quite a fair step up in class on Sunday, but given her breeding and debut effort some 37 days ago, I think she will be very hard to beat here.
Her price is not backable at the moment, therefore a forecast is how I would be looking to play this race. It would be Sea Just In Time to finish 1st, with Nakheel to finish second for Owen Burrows and William Buick.
These are the types that Owen Burrows tends to do very well with, and she ran well to finish 6th on debut, despite looking a little green, before going on to win her first start as a three-year-old last time, where she tackled the 1m2f for the very first time, keeping on very well and always doing enough to hold off the challengers.
She should be plugging on well in the closing stages here, but will just lack the real talent that the favourite has, but it would still be a very good placed effort from Owen Burrows's daughter of Dubawi.
- Selections - Sea Just In Time to finish 1st and Nakheel to finish 2nd - forecast.
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell