Manaccan has been found an excellent opportunity to get off the mark at the third attempt in a nine-runner Maiden Stakes over six furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Newmarket today when the last meeting on the July course signals the onset of Autumn and a fabulous spell of two-year-old racing on the English racing scene.
Significantly Newmarket trainer John Ryan has booked William Buick for the Exceed And Excel colt which meets criteria even though HQ maidens are notoriously difficult to win; last time, two months ago, a vexing short-head/half length defeat at Yarmouth must have been disappointing but encouraging.
A replication of the effort should be good enough but I’ll never count chickens before they are hatched where super-bred thoroughbreds are concerned at this magnificent venue; watch the betting and if too short don’t play Manaccan as a single!
General Sago ticks enough boxes for a serious challenge to odds-on William Haggas-trained favourite Fireworks in an intriguing five runner Novice Stakes over seven furlongs of ‘good’ Beverley; one of them is Danny ‘Kick-boxer’ Tudhope!
‘Tuddy’ is the epitome of consistency, an avid student of form (and opposition!) and well-prepared for every assignment, due to support of a dedicated agent; he’ll be relishing the challenge of getting back on this long-standing maiden which has a genuine chance of making it NINTH time lucky.
Placing really has left a deal to be desired with this Fascinating Rock gelding, placed seven times; earlier this season I seriously considered trying to buy General Sago privately!
Danny got a real tune out of ‘Sago’ in a six furlongs handicap at Ripon; the actual time-figure is similar to what twice-raced Fireworks achieved fifteen weeks ago!
That’s a long time off, why?
Fireworks has been gelded which doesn’t always work; losing ‘two stones’ can be a shock to the system!
An extra furlong could be the answer for General Sago, an outstanding each-way bet with two places which you can play as the final leg of a treble with Manaccan and penalised Lethal Levi, one of ten ‘decs’ for division one of the Novice Stakes over six furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Redcar, one of the fairest tracks and a real ‘favourite’ for serious punting.
Kark Burke’s 79-rated charge, a winner at Hamilton in June, achieved a career-best over a similar distance in a Thirsk nursery handicap five weeks ago, significant ‘recovery time’ which is always very important. A 5lbs penalty is offset, wisely, with experienced apprentice Pierre Louis-Jamin.
Not an easy day for serious punting by any means and so Premier League football action will again be my focus, taking on all odds-on favourites!
Selections, Newmarket, 2.10 Manaccan; Redcar, 4.40 Lethal Levi; Beverley, 5.00 General Sago (e.w).
Jeffrey Ross, horse-racing correspondent for WMN since 1983 when winning the most prestigious racing journalist award, Sporting Life Naps Table, before winning it a record number of six times collectively in the Racing Post, the current ‘trade’ paper, including 2019