Bastille Day in France and Charlie Appleby’s Hurricane Lane is bidding to follow up his Irish Derby success in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp this evening. William Haggas saddles Alenquer – who beat Derby winner Adayar at Sandown on his reappearance – but do note regular pilot Tom Marquand stays at home and has seven rides at Yarmouth this evening.
In the opening maiden handicap, I hope to see Natural Colour (5.00) build on the promise of her fourth in a Nottingham Novice event over an extended mile. She is bred to appreciate today’s additional quarter of a mile and makes her handicap debut from what looks a workable mark. Sean Kinane – who was in the plate last time – keeps the ride for Saeed bin Suroor whose string are in fine fettle. She was 4/1 on Tuesday but has been backed into 5/2 with Boylesports at the time of posting.
The finishing effort of Neville’s Cross (3.40) was disappointing over 3m at Worcester last time, and he is dropped back in trip at Uttoxeter in their competitive handicap chase over two-and-a-half miles.
The each way recommendation – 11/2 from 8s with 10Bet – had fallen on his two previous efforts over fences and a clear round was probably the primary objective last time. I hope to see him race more prominently back down in trip and he gets the each way vote. He has won over an extended 3m 1f over hurdles and will get further over fences, but I do feel he deserves the opportunity to race over this intermediate trip.
At Wolverhampton Countessa (7.45) is taken to make a winning handicap debut for Hugo Palmer with leading apprentice Mark Crehan taking off a valuable 3lbs.
The filly – 3ss from 4/1 with MansionBet – cost $340,000 as a yearling, is bred to be a good deal better than her opening handicap mark of 69 and has run well on this evening’s tapeta surface, having finished runner up at Newcastle on her penultimate start.
The ground was described as soft at Lingfield on Tuesday morning with the prospect of further showers. Oceans Meet is a filly who I felt would win races this term, but she returns from a near 12-month lay-off for the Crisfords’ in the 12f Novice event. A market move would be worth noting but she is by Sea The Stars and her promising racecourse debut was on Newcastle’s tapeta surface.
The vote goes to the penalised Yesyes (1.35) who made a winning debut at Haydock at the end of May and holds an entry in the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood at the end of the month. She needs to win today to take up that lofty engagement I would imagine. There was 11/8 available on Tuesday but the filly is Evens with BetVictor at the time of posting.
