Thursday's Meetings Newmarket Flat 8 Races 1:00-5:05p.m. Perth N/H 8 Races 1:25-5:20p.m. Listowel Flat 8 Races 1:40-5:50p.m. Pontefract Flat 7 Races 1:45-5:25p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 7 Races 5:25-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Perth 2.30 Lord Napier Drop in trip back to 2 m 4 f should suit ( 2 wins over hurdles when racing over this distance) and lurks on a dangerous mark.
A bit of a novelty in the 2.45 at Newmarket. For a fair while now, British and Irish raiders have been going into France and winning 2YO and 3YO Group races from under the noses of the seemingly helpless French trainers. The most marked race I can think of this occurring in is the Prix Robert Papin, a Group 2 race that has come across the Channel from France for the last EIGHT seasons. Today sees a possible volte face, with Andre Fabre's Trident a warm favourite to win the Group 3 Somerville Tattersalls. Trident is a son of Wootton Bassett and he caught my eye on debut when making a winning start. I backed him next time out but he was only third and I was disappointed by that effort. He went on to finish 2nd in the Group 1 Prix Morny next time out, getting revenge over the horse who won when Trident was 3rd. Perfect Power won that Morny and he will be trying to follow up in the Cheveley Park on Saturday in a contest where he is already clear favourite and likely to tighten should Trident look the part today. I feel compelled to take Trident on at today's odds. This is a 7F race and the shorter Morny hasn't worked out very well. I reckon this is quite a tight race and there are potential improvers in the field. I was on Ribhi last time but even though he was denied a clear run at one stage I thought he wasn't really closing when he got clear and he disappointed me that day. Harrow is on the up but I think he needs another jump to win this and he faces another half furlong today. Cresta and Modern Games were first and second when they met previously. The Meade horse got the better if it by 3/4 of a length that time but was getting 9 lbs that day. Modern Games went on to win a 7F Nursery next time in good style, finishing strongly to come away by more than three lengths. Being a Nursery where all the runners have a rating, the form should be somewhat more trustworthy and his 101 Official Rating puts him in the mix, although another move forward is required, Racing Post Ratings have Trident 4 lbs ahead of his field but I am a bit dubious myself, I went with Modern Games in the hope that he will be strong at the end of this race. Another few pounds progression should see him right there in a sightly below par looking renewal. 2.45 Modern Games 4/1 was my pick at 3am this morning.
Modern Games was indeed strong at the finish today. Trident appeared to be going easier at one stage but you could just see the jockey starting to get to work on him to try to claim the Appleby runner but while he threatened briefly you started to sense Modern Games was doing enough in front and in fact came away to win by more than two lengths. Very game performance from Modern Games and he is sure to be rated near 110 after this. Trident was beaten further today than when he ran behind Perfect Power, so I would be a bit concerned for the Fahey horse at shortish odds in the Middle Park. He is going to face serious opposition there on Saturday. For once, today's race panned out exactly as I had envisaged it, with Modern Games being hard to pass in the final furlong. If he could stretch his stamina to a mile he would be creeping into realistic Guineas contender territory. Perhaps Trident is a 6F horse. If anything Modern Games was coming away in the closing stages today. They say follow a stable in form and Charlie Appleby is at an incredible 45% with 14 of 31 this past 14 days.
Yes. Traffic and check in times. Usually have to be at departure gate at least 45 mins prior to departure, some airlines even longer
Should be doable. Never seems that busy around Kempton and the last race is normally poor so can leave before it.
