I’m giving LUMIERE one last chance in this Newmarket Group Two.
I think, while a mile might stretch her stamina, seven furlongs is perfect for the daughter of Sharmadal – and she gets her ideal conditions of fast, firm ground.
This is mostly based on the promise of her two-year-old campaign, where she won a Group One on this card last season.
She’s won only once this season after flopping badly in the 1000 Guineas, where the going might have been a little slow, emphatically bouncing back in a Listed race here at Newmarket before two disappointing defeats in France and at Doncaster.
The Doncaster run is the biggest concern as it was a drop in class – she looked to be outstayed by Spangled on that occasion but the way she sprinted clear in that Listed race makes it hard to rule she’s not trained on aged three.
She looks a big price at 11/1 as her best form is as good, if not better, as anything in this field.
Recent Joel Stakes winner – yes, Joel Stakes – Cougar Mountain looks a threat for the red-hot O’Brien stable, but he’s been very erratic over the years and you couldn’t give him a favourite’s chance – and that’s exactly what he is.
Gifted Master, another to have been advised on these pages, now looks fully exposed and quite easy to rule out but RICHARD PANKHURST, who was a 14/1 winner for us a few months back, definitely looks the threat.
He has to concede 3lbs for winning that Group Two, which will make it tougher for him, and has to bounce back from a disappointing run last time out.
However, with the fast ground ideal for him too, at 15/2 he’s a very nice price and I’m backing both.
1pt win Richard Pankhurst @15/2, 14:40 Newmarket, Friday
1pt win Lumiere @11/1, 14:40 Newmarket, Friday