by Charlie McCann
The ground at Newmarket is good to soft for this afternoon's card which opens with two divisions of the 7f juvenile fillies maiden.
Haggle shaped with considerable promise on debut for Luca Cumani as did Powder Snow for Charlie Appleby but wearing the second colours of Godolphin will be Promising Run (2.00) who did just that when third at Goodwood over 6f on her first start. The second and fourth have subsequently won and the step up in trip will suit the filly who holds an entry in the Rockfel and Fillies' Mile later in the season.
In the second division there are a number of well-bred newcomers but the experience of her Doncaster debut will not have been lost on Pursuitofthestars (2.30) and if the ground continues to dry out she can go close for John Gosden with Frankie Dettori taking over in the saddle.
Of the newcomers the booking of James Doyle for Doubly Motivated (holds a Group 2 entry next month) catches the eye and a market move would be worth noting.
I have long thought there was a decent animal trying to get out of Bathos (3.05) and he can follow up his recent Beverley win in the mile nursery for Mark Johnston. The selection is only 6lbs better off with Harlequin Rock for the 5L that latter beat him at Nottingham at the beginning of the month but I just favour the Middleham raider.
The Hannon yard have saddled the winner of this race for the last three years and recent Windsor winner Dubai's Secret improved for the step up to a mile at Windsor last time; a 4lb rise looks fair and he is another to consider.
One of the newcomers is going to have to be pretty smart to lower the colours of Tashweeq (3.40) in the colts' 7f maiden. The selection completely blew the start when second to Justice Law on debut at Newbury and he holds entries in a number of the big end-of-season juvenile contests.
The same thing can be said, however, about Charlie Appleby's beautifully bred newcomer Firnas who cost 1.6m Guineas as a yearling and Sir Michael Stoute's well-related Forge. This could be a very special Newmarket maiden but Tashweeq has that valuable experience and can go one better than on debut.
The forecast soft ground at Goodwood should suit handicap debutant Avalanche Express (7.45) who showed decent form in maidens before running a stinker on ground which connections suggested were too quick at Carlisle last time. Leading apprentice Tom Marquand takes off a valuable 5lbs for William Muir's lightly-raced 3-y-old and his previous second to Akeed Champions suggests his current rating of 74 (69 if you take off the jockey's claim) is more than workable.
Earlier in the card King Of Dreams (5.35) can fulfil the promise he showed at Windsor on debut. Trained by David Simcock the colt was backed as if he was a good thing but he was beaten two lengths and this is very much a retrieval mission. His entry in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster next month suggests connections still believe his is a decent animal.
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