Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Friday’s racing taking place at Dundalk, Haydock Park, Newcastle, and Uttoxeter!
Race 2: No2 – FRIENDLY
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Wayne Lordan
FRIENDLY has started favourite for two of her three outings and the second favourite for the other, finishing fourth at the Curragh, second at Leopardstown and third at Naas. In what could end up being a set-to with Sister Rosetta she looks to have slightly stronger claims as she moves onto Polytrack for the first time. The Galileo filly has worked well on the surface at home.
Race 3: No9 – FEELING TIP TOP
Trainer: Jessica Harrington – Jockey: Scott Foley
Plenty will support Prairie Dancer in this maiden but FEELING TIP TOP could have the greater scope for progression. The Elzaam colt has troubled the judge in well-contested maidens at the Curragh and Down Royal, contests respectively won by Charterhouse and A Case Of You. In contrast, Prairie Dancer has been turned over twice when a short-priced favourite and is becoming expensive to follow.
Race 5: AL BASTI EQUIWORLD, DUBAI DIAMOND STAKES (Group 3)
No12 – VATICAN CITY (Naas)
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Wayne Lordan
With 14 going to post this is a competitive feature, and the eye is taken by stablemates Crossfirehurricane and Bolleville, but preference is for the highly-tried VATICAN CITY who drops in class and has already won at the track. The Galileo colt would be home and hosed in this if recapturing the form that saw him get to within a length and threequarters of Siskin in the Irish 2,000 Guineas in June, and though well beaten in the Investec Derby and Sussex Stakes, he bounced back to post a frame finish behind Safe Voyage in a Group 2 at Leopardstown.
Race 6: No7 – EAGLEMONT
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien – Jockey: TBC
Paso Doble will be a popular order for this if getting in as the 1st Reserve, but should no horses drop out the interest strays towards EAGLEMONT. The Camelot colt gets a first taste of Polytrack in public following a couple of good efforts to place in maidens. He could have been let in lightly for this first run in a handicap.
Race 7: No14 – RIP ROCKS PADDY OK (Each Way)
Trainer: Andy Slattery – Jockey: Andrew Slattery
Getting weight from everything in the field, RIP ROCKS PADDY OK has a good chance of taking home a cheque and recapturing the form found last summer when scoring at Cork. He needed his comeback from lockdown at Leopardstown and showed with a third back at that track last week that a return to the winner’s circle could be in the offing.
NEWMARKET
Race 1: No2 – CROSSFORD
Trainer: Charles Hills – Jockey: Tom Marquand
With the benefit of an eye taking first effort at Doncaster, CROSSFORD fits the bill for this opener of Day 2 of the Cambridgeshire fixture. The Dawn Approach colt was friendless in the market but kept on well to get into the money and just a length and half of the well-regarded winner Tawaareq, and is now mentally stronger.
Race 2: No9 – CLOAK OF SPIRITS (Each Way)
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Andrea Atzeni
Aside from a slightly below par effort in a Group 3 at Doncaster, CLOAK OF SPIRITS hasn’t done much wrong in mainly a higher grade throughout the season. The Invincible Spirit filly chased home Love in the 1,000 Guineas on comeback in June and although no match for Alpine Star in the Coronation Stakes, then placed in Group 3s at Epsom and Deauville. On the best of her form, she’s the clear pick in this Listed race.
Race 4: Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (Group 2)
No3 – MONDAY
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
An upwardly mobile filly can make huge strides at this time of year and that’s been the case with MONDAY, who had some good tackle in her wake when making all to get off the mark in Listed company at Leopardstown earlier in the month. It was a notable jump up from her debut fourth at Punchestown and promises of better to come against Group 3 winners Isabella Giles and Santosha.
Race 5: Shadwell Joel Stakes (Group 2)
No1 – KAMEKO (Nap)
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
Returning to the scene of his 2,000 Guineas triumph in June, KAMEKO can trump a field of mainly older rivals in the day’s feature. He’s trodden a high profile course since that tenacious triumph over Wichita, finishing fourth in the Investec Derby, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International Stakes. The key is that he’s now taking a class drop against mainly older rivals, and can rise to the occasion.
HAYDOCK PARK
Race 1: No3 – VULCAN
Trainer: Harry Dunlop – Jockey: Saffie Osborne
VULCAN took a long time to get it all together, but when scoring over course and distance two weeks ago did so in decisive fashion. That was just reward for a couple of near-misses at Newbury and Sandown and has given him a much-needed confidence boost.
Race 4: No4 – NASTASE (Nap)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Charles Bishop
This looks one of the hotter nurseries of the year, involving a couple of impressive hat-trick seekers in Atalis Bay and Riffaa Wonder. But the one to be on is NASTASE, who crucially is able to run off his old mark following a narrow defeat in a similar contest at the Ayr Western meeting. He was delivered late and looked all over the winner until grabbed in the final strides by Outrun The Storm, and with underfoot conditions in his favour can go one better.
NEWCASTLE
Race 2: No11 – URBAN VIOLET (Nap)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Paul Mulrennan
Ghumama shaped with a deal of promise on her debut at Goodwood but URBAN VIOLET might have her measure after posting two good performances herself. The selection finished off her debut race at Goodwood strongly, and when finishing last of three to Lucid Dreamer at Newbury was beaten only two and three-quarter lengths by that very useful winner.
Race 3: No7 – KING OF STARS
Trainer: Mike Appleby – Jockey: Alistair Rawlinson
Appleby excels with recruits from other stables and can work his magic on KING OF STARS, who troubled the judge on a handful of occasions before his move from Ireland. The grey was recently seen finishing second of 18 to Call Of The Jungle in a Curragh maiden, and effort that puts him in with strong claims to take out this novice stakes.
UTTOXETER
Race 1: No6 – TOPOFTHECOTSWOLDS (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
This stable needs following through late September and October and can take out the opening novices’ hurdle with TOPOFTHECOTSWOLDS. The six-year-old found only Potterman his master when returning in a handicap chase at Market Rasen, a run that should have put the cutting edge on him and make him the one to beat.
Race 5: No8 – KILBREW BOY (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Case – Jockey: Kieren Woods
While respect is afforded to Henrietta Bell, who compromised her chance with some sketchy jumping at Cartmel, the value play in this three-mile handicap chase is KILBREW BOY. He ran better than the bare result suggests when beaten a distance by Prabeni at Fontwell, a race that should have blown away the cobwebs for a much more prominent display this time.
Race 6: No3 – TEA CLIPPER
Trainer: Tom Lacey – Jockey: Jonathan Burke
Attention is taken towards Style De Garde coming back from an enforced lay off, but TEA CLIPPER hardly put a foot wrong in four outings over hurdles last season and has the potential to add to his laurels in this two and a half mile handicap. The five-year-old completed a hat-trick before losing his unbeaten record against Cervaro Mix at Huntingdon and is reported to have done well through the late winter and lockdown.
