Carolus Magnus, penalised 7lbs for a decisive Newmarket seven furlongs victory fifteen days ago, represents a solid ‘professional special’ in an eleven-runner Novice Median Auction Stakes over a similar distance of Chelmsford polytrack tonight; it isn’t easy eking out good betting opportunities but we’re enjoying a good spell due to colossal application for the cause of readers/punters.
Partnered by ebullient champion jockey Oisin Murphy the twice-raced Andrew Balding-trained Holy Roman Emperor gelding made all and stormed clear of odds-on Godolphin-owned Magical Land to land a gamble.
Penalties are always a bind but Andrew has booked apprentice Callum Hutchinson who claims the full allowance and is a young man to monitor closely. being a son of former successful National Hunt jockey Wayne.
Balding has a wonderful attitude to training, patient, thorough and fearless when it comes to taking on the high-profile ‘big guns’ with tremendous success; his famous father Ian plotted the career of Epsom Derby winner Mill Reef, placing tremendous emphasis on fitness but Andrew has complimented the one-time useful rugby player with a formidable level of consistency. Remember my 25/1 nap, Berkshire Rocco, in the St Leger last September, beaten a neck?
Carolus Magnus is a stable-companion of Regal Vega, our winning nap at Southwell, Monday when Rowan Scott had his first winner for the racing family Balding, beating Hollie Doyle-ridden Arctic Emperor by half a length with a late surge.
I’m confident about Carolus Magnus on the time-handicap but progressive Just Beautiful has won both starts and can’t be underestimated.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s ‘Brocklesby’ winner Chipotle carries a penalty in an intriguing five-runner Conditions Stakes over the minimum distance on ‘good to firm’ Ascot and so do Gubbass and The Gatekeeper, representing Richard Hannon and Mark Johnston respectively. I’ll ‘play’ the Doncaster form but will not bet less than 2/1 in what promises to be an absolute cracker. Eve will be nervous!
Selections, Ascot, 1.35 Chipotle; Pontefract, 2.00 May Blossom; Chelmsford 5.10 Carolus Magnus;
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