It could be a cracking day for Andrea Atzeni, and Masaarr is likely to be extremely popular with punters in a day where we are massively on Addeybb. This Roger Varian chestnut-colt has looked a decent prospect on his four starts of which he has won two.
The step up in trip is likely to suit having only just got up to win over a mile last time out at Newmarket, but I am not convinced the horse he beat in second is particularly useful, despite those two being well-clear of the field. He was also turned over as an 8/15 favourite on his seasonal reappearance.
There are plenty of improving three-year-olds in this race and he has to give weight away to the vast majority with an opening mark of 96 looking stiff enough.
Chief Ironside looks like he will improve again, but may have just been flattered by his victory at Chester last time out where tactics and a great ride from Kieran Shoemark helped his cause. The race before that where he finished third behind He’s Amazing who finished behind Royal Ascot entrant Raymond Tusk reads better, and they could both be thereabouts.
But it may pay to side with the Mark Johnston colt of COMMUNIQUE who ran into what looked a very good sort at Sandown over 1m 2f in April and is a decent price at 10/1. That was Communique’s first run on the turf having placed in all three of his previous attempts on the all-weather.
The ground was on the soft side at Sandown and I don’t think he handled it too well, and there is every chance Communique will improve on a sounder surface being by Casamento, who was an excellent middle-distance horse.
The fact he remains a maiden means his mark is a lowly 84 (12lbs lighter than the favourite).
Communique ran a good second over a mile at Chelmsford on his second start as a two-year-old where he finished a length behind Dukhan and four lengths ahead of Mekong – he is now 10lbs and 1lb better off with those opponents respectively who are similar prices in the market.
It’s hard not to envisage Communique picking up a handicap success sooner rather than later, and he looks potentially well-treated at Newbury on Lockinge Day.
1pt each-way Communique @10/1, 15:00 Newbury, Saturday (1,2,3 places, 1/4 odds with Bet365)