Kimngrace should just about retrieve recent losses in a ten-runner Maiden Fillies’ Stakes over six furlongs of ‘good to firm’ Haydock this afternoon even though the career-best effort of this Richard Hughes-trained Profitable juvenile was down the Newbury straight last month against sixteen rivals at class one level in a listed race over the minimum trip, when eleventh!
Following that Kimngrace was heavily backed to make it third time lucky on Lingfield polytrack but found our fast-finishing selection, Sassy Rascal, a neck too good in a frenetic finish to the class 5 dash.
Hughes’ two-year-olds are often heavily-backed, I’d be happy to have what must have been lost in my back account; considerable wagers were ‘shovelled on’ 78-rated Kimngrace and I’ll bet ‘they’ go in again but, Eesha Meesh could be a ‘fly in the ointment’ and you have been warned!
Newmarket-based Marco Botti’s yard is enjoying a tremendous run and has a strong line to first-season form which once-raced Eesha Meesh possesses following a most encouraging third to Lil Guff at Kempton last week. The placing doesn’t tell the whole story.
Eesha Meesh was drawn hopelessly wide and soon lost touch but absolutely ‘tanked’ through in the closing stages to be beaten only two and a half lengths behind the winning favourite.
I’ve been known to ‘change course’ mid-article but I’ll ‘chance’ experience of Kimngrace and have an each-way saver on Eesha Meesh, or a dual forecast!
Over same course and distance half an hour later thrice-raced Buckshaw Village appears to hold enough aces to trump only danger Captain’s Bar in a five-runner Maiden Stakes; it looks a ‘match’ and Richard Fahey’s charge progressed considerably in a ‘hot’ York dash earlier this month. I’m always confident when fancying one trained by the Malton ‘winning machine!’
Newmarket holds centre stage but ‘good to soft’ is daunting given lovely eastern weather in the last few days; methinks the ‘sprinkle-happy’ clerk of the course has watered and so final leg of our trixie/daily patent is twice-raced Tim Easterby-trained Roach Power, clear ‘best-in’ on my time-handicap for an eleven-runner Novice Stakes over six furlongs of ‘good to firm’ York, despite dropping back in trip, which I always prefer.
Glentaneous has made ‘cut’ for thirty-five runner ‘Cambridgeshire’ and we’re all so excited; no forlorn hope despite colossal price!
Haydock, 1.30 Kimngrace; 2.00 Buckshaw Village; Yor, 3.15 Roach Power (nap).
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