On Friday last week I picked out Lady Cecil’s Squire Osbaldeston at Nottingham but he was withdrawn when the ground became testing. His trainer obviously has a good opinion of him and decided to re-route him to Newmarket this week rather than risk him on a heavy ground and the move can pay off handsomely.
He went into my notebook when he was desperately unlucky at Goodwood in May, getting out all too late and finishing strongly in fourth behind Eshtiaal. There was clearly more to come from this good looking son of Mr Greeley but he did not reappear until September.
Under a confident ride from Tom Queally, he easily saw off Hawker by two and a half lengths at Lingfield and has the potential to be better than a handicapper. If that is the case, he should have little difficulty winning off a mark of 85 at Newmarket and rates the nap at odds of 2-1 with Paddy Power.
I have been singing the praises of young Oisin Murphy for quite a while and he struck again with a big odds treble last weekend. Not surprisingly, he is now in big demand while he has a handy 5lb claim and John Gosden is among those using his services.
I’m sure that Murphy will give Willow Beck a good ride in the 3.05 at an each-way price. The form of this filly is difficult to weigh up because she was bang there with Phaenomena and Astonishing here last month. Astonishing went on to win her next race by a country mile but Phaenomena looked as slow as a boat at Lingfield on Thursday. Even so, Willow Beck is game and consistent and the 5lbs off is a bonus.
Whatever Murphy’s fate on that one, he has sound claims on Ballinderry Boy who goes in search of a hat-trick for his retained stable of Andrew Balding at 3.40. He’s gone up 6lbs for beating Man Of Plenty at Ascot but that creature is not the most reliable and he can confirm the form.
Squire Osbaldeston 2-1 Paddy Power
Willow Beck 7-1 Bet Victor, Coral
Ballinderry 11-4 Bet Victor, William Hill
