Tag: Much Promise

Newmarket Friday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Friday’s Newmarket card should finally see the much-hyped £2.6million colt Hydrogen make his racecourse debut. Qatar Racing purchased the record breaking son of Galileo and placed him in the care of two-time Epsom Derby winning trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam.

A couple of relatively minor setbacks have prevented him from seeing a racetrack and it will not have been the plan for him to be making his debut just a week before the Derby. He still holds an entry for Epsom but he would have to win by half the track to take up that engagement with Chapple-Hyam likely to rely on Arod.

For those of us that are old enough to remember Snaafi Dancer, there must be some trepidation for connections ahead of tomorrow’s maiden race. Snaafi Dancer cost $10.2million and never ran, eventually proving to be a flop at stud. There will be no prizes for the headline writers if Hydrogen proves to be a similarly expensive flop!

In terms of a betting race, I am more interested in Wonderstruck who was third in a good maiden at Ascot behind Goodwood Oaks Trial winner Marsh Daisy. The runner-up has been beaten in a photo and the fourth has won since so the form looks rock solid.

Kieren Fallon seems to be flavour of the month with Godolphin. It is probably as much of a mystery to him as it is to everyone else but he will make the most of it. He has cracking rides lined up for Epsom next week and can chalk up another success aboard Famous Kid in the 4.15. Thirsk might not seem the obvious place to go for a Godolphin horse but a certain Farhh won the Thirsk Hunt Cup by six lengths in 2012 and he turned out to be quite good!

I am not suggesting that Famous Name is likely to prove to be that good but he can take the handicap off a mark of 91. Cloudscape could be the danger if he returns to his early season form but he ran too badly to be true last time out.

Earlier in the day I like the chances of Much Promise in the six-furlong handicap. The daughter of Invincible Spirit ran into some useful sorts as a juvenile, finishing behind Along Again, Valonia and Magnus Maximus. She made no mistake at Kempton in November over this trip and looks on a decent mark

Much Promise 2.30 Newmarket at 6-1 Ladbrokes

Wonderstruck 3.05 Newmarket

Famous Kid 4.15 Newmarket at 9-2 Coral, William Hill

Kempton Thursday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Volume (9-4) did the business for us yesterday at Nottingham after a good tussle with Gold Trail. The pair drew well clear of the third so they should both make up into decent three-year-olds.

I’m switching to the all-weather tomorrow for the nap selection with Much Promise in the 6.10 race at Kempton. This John Gosden-trained filly lived up to her name on her debut at Lingfield when second to the useful Along Again. The winner was well backed in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot and was far from disgraced in third.

Not surprisingly, Much Promise was sent off favourite for her next race at Goodwood but things did not go to plan. Having raced keenly up front, she started to hang between the two-furlong and furlong marker and eventually Buick had to give up the ghost and let her finish in her own time, a disappointing ninth. The race was won by Valonia who has since been purchased by Qatar Racing and the form of the race could hardly have worked out better.

Remarkably, the next six horses home have all won since. They include Roger Charlton’s Stars Above Me, Clive Brittain’s Aqlaam Vision and Charlie Hills’ Coral Mist. My regular readers will know that Coral Mist has been a good friend to this column by landing two winning bets including a valuable race at Ayr last time out.

At the risk of over-egging the pudding, the tenth home Arranger has also won whilst eleventh was Fashion Fund who has run three cracking races subsequently. Valonia also hung across the course slightly and it was probably just the inexperience when passing the crowd in front of the stands that started the wayward manoeuvre. Much Promise may also have been inconvenienced by the good to soft going that day and I’m optimistic that she won’t repeat her swerve on Thursday.

The biggest danger has to be Mick Channon’s Isabella Bird who was fourth on her debut at Newbury. Amazing Mariah was not far in front of her that day and natural improvement will make her a big threat. Richard Hannon’s Magnus Maximus showed promise first time out but floundered in the heavy ground at Salisbury whilst Secret Hint is an unknown quantity.

Much Promise 6.10 Kempton