With the weather playing havoc up and down the country, we’re hoping that it won’t get in the way of the north-to-south spread of live Channel 4 racing from Beverley, Newmarket and Goodwood and don’t forget, StanJames.com will be paying 1/4 odds each way on all CH4 races.
Firstly, we’ll be Top Price Every Runner in the 2.50 Newmarket from 10am today. Royal Signaller has won over this distance before for Michael Appleby and most recently travelled very well to aid the Girls’ Team in their Shergar Cup victory at Ascot. He could go very well for the bang in form claimer Tom Marquand, at a fair price in an open race.
The day’s live opener, the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood (2.00), looks to be an interesting line-up. Fireglow and Belvoir Bay head the betting with the former having proven herself over seven-furlongs, but in the latter she faces a filly who recently finished sixth in the Weatherbys Super Sprint, has won at the track over six last time out and on breeding, might well appreciate the step up to seven for Goodwood specialist, Richard Hannon.
Mick Channon bids to get the better of both of the above and repeat last year’s success with Epsom Icon. She should do well having won her last two, the latter being a Listed race at Newbury.
The second live race of the day is the celebrated Beverley Bullet, in which favourite Maarek could get back on top. He’s won a Group One, in the Prix de l’Abbaye in 2013 and has five other Group level races to his name. He wasn’t too impressive on his last outing, but was making a return after nearly three months off. He’ll have every chance to get right back into the swing of things with Jamie Spencer on board, for his only ride of the day.
Goodwood also hosts the Listed March Stakes today. John Gosden won this last year with Forever Now and can take this year’s renewal with Marzocco in a small, but open field.
Finishing off today’s live racing will be the Doom Bar Celebration Mile at Goodwood. Odds on favourite is Clive Cox’s, Kodi Bear, who was impressive on good ground at Salisbury last time out, and the trainer has recently vocalised just how much he thinks of him, calling him one of their best.
That said, he’s missed a fair chunk of the season due to a slight setback in the Spring, including the Guineas, but has since won both a Listed and a Group race beating Hugo Palmer’s likeable Short Squeeze at Windsor and he had O’Meara’s Custom Cut behind him more recently at Salisbury. Let’s not forget he was also only a few lengths behind top class QEII contender Territories, over in France.
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