There are a few horses coming in to this handicap on the upgrade, and several will be competing in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot in a few weeks time.
The favourite is currently Godolphin’s Culturati, who has been off the track for over 600 days having not raced since he was two. He looked progressive in his juvenile campaign, but this may prove to be more of a stepping stone as he bids for a crack at the big-one in a fortnight.
It will have to be a masterful training performance for him to win and Charlie Appleby’s horses normally need the run, so he looks vulnerable at 4/1.
Instead our attention turns to Irish import AL QAHWA for David O’Meara who seemed to improve on his opening run for his new yard, winning in good style at 25/1 after 288 days off.
This four-year-old looks a shrewd purchase having raced at Group 3 and Listed level in Ireland, behind the likes of the evergreen Gordon Lord Byron, and he could be on course for a return to pattern company given that he remains lightly-raced for his age.
His 4lb rise looks modest with his trainer likely to bring out further improvement in him so he’s one to keep onside, even if his odds look short enough.
SCORCHING HEAT is our other selection, an improving three-year-old for Andrew Balding, and one that is receiving an additional 8lb weight-for-age allowance. That puts him a massive 20lbs lighter than the jolly.
He won nicely over six furlongs on his reappearance and would have followed that up and defied his penalty had he not run in to a well-handicapped type at Leicester on his last start.
This is just his seventh start, remains unexposed and is drawn where there is plenty of pace. The booking of Jimmy Quinn is a plus with a 32% strike rate for the yard in his last twenty runs.
1pt win Al Qahwa @5/1, 15:05 Newmarket (several bookmakers)
1pt win Scorching Heat @7/1, 15:05 Newmarket (several bookmakers)
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