Newmarket
1.50pm
Oasis Prince
Take out his run at Haydock in what was a very rough race, and we have a really progressive colt here. He will need to improve again having gone up 5lb for his narrow win for me at Yarmouth last time, but that was a fair race, he is a tough sort and the step up to 1m2f for the first time is well worth chancing on run-style and pedigree, being a half-brother to the high-class 1m6f winner Rare Rhythm. He is a typical Mark Johnston horse in that he is nice and big, and races behind the bridle but finds plenty. The draw in one looks good, too.
2.25pm
Bredenbury
This is clearly a very big task for her, as you couldn’t have asked for a much hotter edition of this race. But she earned a tilt at this lofty company with an easy win at Brighton last time, so let’s see how she gets on and where we go afterwards. We are under no illusions that she could progress a fair deal and run well and still finish only fifth or sixth, such is the depth of the race, but I rode her the other day and she looks a very nice filly in her own right. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if she ran well.
4.10pm
Union Spirit
The two raced horses set a fair standard to aim at, and then you have 11 fellow unraced 2yos to consider, too. I don’t know much about him but Peter had a welcome winner recently and this colt is related to some decent winners. I suspect this could be a pretty hot race, though.
Chester
6.55pm
Mugatoo
Only seven runners, so let’s hope the trip up to Chester proves worthwhile. The handicapper took a dim view of his Doncaster win and shunted him up 9lb, and he couldn’t reproduce that form on soft ground at Goodwood last time. A lot of horses don’t handle that ground, as they rarely, if ever, work on it. The expected good ground here will suit him better though, and he has definite chances if back on song, though the likes of Infrastructure and Lunar Jet are fair opponents.
