It’s the start of Newmarket’s high quality two day Cesarewitch meeting, and whilst we are lining up the wheelbarrows to collect on tomorrow’s big race, we’ll be heading north today in an effort to further build our stake.
York offers up a series of high quality handicaps and two course specialists catch our eye.
The mile handicap (1445 BST), sees a short priced favourite in Zabeel Prince. He is very lightly raced and catches the eye, but a 10lb rise for winning a weak race last time has to be a concern.
With respect to Cote D’Azur and particularly Bravery, we think last year’s 1-2 is the place to look. Home Cummings looks to go one better off much the same mark, and he can go close.
Amazingly though, last year’s winner, Highland Colori comes back to defend off a 10lb lower rating. You don’t shoot down the weights without performing poorly, but last time at Newmarket he won the race on his side only to see that worth just 4th spot.
Still, a reproduction of that has him close here, but improvement for a first return to York since winning this race, and the assistance of Jimmy Fortune can make it a real winning chance.
In the 5f sprint (1630), the Tim Easterby trained Rasheeq deserves a changebof luck having finished 2-2-3 in three big handicap appearances on this track this season.
A good second when just touched off at Haydock recently showed he remains in top form, and rated lower than all those good course runs he should finally find the winner’s circle.
Recommendations:
Highland Colori, (1445 York), 1pt win, 12/1 generally available
Rasheeq, (1630 York), 1pt win, 7/1 Ladbroke
Highland Colori & Rasheeq, 0.5pts each way double, approx 100/1
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