Lucky Lucky Lucky represents a time-handicap ‘special’ to grab one of three places in the fourteen-runner Novice Stakes over six furlongs of Newcastle tapeta tonight when three of eight races are for two-year-olds; obviously I’ve been fully focused, as you’d expect!
Every season is a new set of juveniles, my absolute speciality, and 2021 is proving profitable by concentrating 100% on this fascinating age group which forms a modus operandi for thousands of others, aware of consistency with first-season thoroughbreds.
Over last weekend Twilight Jet (2/1), Point Lunas (9/1) and Lil Guff (6/4) prevailed and Electress, a well-backed favourite at Goodwood, was just about the unluckiest loser of the season when losing out by a short-head; as mentioned often it’s possible for yours truly to achieve a staggering consistent level running my self-computed handicap, based on electrical timing. Electress cost you readers a profitable double!
Twice-raced Lucky Lucky Lucky improved considerably when fifth (of 11!) on ‘good to firm’ Beverley three week ago when three-quarters of a length behind fourth home Tilly The Filly; they meet again, on slightly advantageous terms for Nigel Tinkler’s charge.
Tom Eaves replaces Nigel’s talented 3lbs apprentice Faye McManoman which isn’t a plus by any means; coincidentally they were drawn together at the Humberside venue and that’s the case again.
Realistically I’m expecting both to be placed along with once-raced Martyn Meade-trained Neptunian, mount of Jack Mitchell and likely favourite; fifth (of 11!) to Deodar under Tom Marquand in a Newbury maiden last month reads well and given the Prince Of Lir colt was slovenly and green ‘early doors’ we might be batting on a sticky wicket expecting to get ‘Lucky’ and beat him.
An intriguing race without and my ‘play’ is all about the odds for our each-way patent which just has to include useful but extremely vexing Raydoun in division one of the Nursery Handicap over the same course and distance half an hour later.
Raydoun, despite top-weight, is ‘thrown-in’ if able to replicate his recent third at Ripon and Ben Curtis rides Roger Fell’s charge for the first time; that is a bonus!
Second leg is too difficult but an eight-runner Maiden Stakes over seven furlongs is well within compass of Simon Crisford-trained Baltic Coast, an eye-catching debut second at Pontefract last month and massively-fancied by the in-form team. Mitchell rides!
Selections, Newcastle, 6.00 Lucky Lucky Lucky (e.w); 6.30 Raydoun (e.w); 8.00 Baltic Coast (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