Thursday 27th July 2017


A shame to end on a loss yesterday. Picket Line ran a fine race to place at a nice SP of 16/1 but the drift on Sure To Explore was a telling one who was pushed along a long way out and never figured. Hoping to bounce back with the first 3 pointer I've put up on the blog yet.


Newbury 20:05 - ZUMRAN 9/4

 3 Points Win

 Zumran beat a horse put up on this blog on Friday last week, Fantasy Keeper. After that win I said she looked a horse very much to keep on the right side of and that very much remains the case under a 6lb penalty today. Softer ground looks the key to recent successes, which she is highly likely to encounter again tomorrow. Two starts ago she won well at Doncaster, before well and truly proving me wrong at Nottingham by taking the step up in class in her stride with an emphatic success. David Egan partnered her that day and remains in the saddle today. She has a further rise in grade to deal with today but the manner of her success last time shows she's very capable, especially as she is 2lb well in under her penalty today. Beck and Call won in this grade at Lingfield last time and a 2lb rise definitely looks fair, but she has yet to prove herself in softer conditions, a comment which also applies to Island Cloud. Zumran rates a confident selection here.


18:30 Newbury - BRANSCOMBE 5/1

 1 Point Win

 I was surprised to see Brancombe available as big as 5/1 here in this Nursery, he looks a good bet at the price. Admittedly on the face of it his run last time at York was disappointing but that was in a higher grade, a class 3 handicap. Prior to that he had looked progressive, finishing second in novice company on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and winning at Sandown in a class 5 novice race before that. He drops down in class and into nursery company here, which is a huge positive given his trainer's excellent record in Nurserys this season. It's also worth noting he's a half brother to Yalta so a mark of 78 in this nursery could potentially be lenient. Alaska who ran well in this grade at Ascot from an unfavourable draw so he has to be respected. Another likely danger is The Love Doctor runs off the same mark as when finishing a clear second off this mark at Pontefract and he wears a Visor for the first time here today.

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