Nick Luck
Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: 1000 Guineas Day Best Bets
William Hill ambassador, Nick Luck, previews Newmarket’s 1000 Guineas Day action on ITV.
Sunday, Newmarket
Sacred Ground looks like the one to be with in the Pretty Polly (1.45pm) at Newmarket. That was a perfectly sound effort on the second of her two starts last season. I think she ought to improve going up in distance, given that she’s out of an Oaks winner, and there seems to be a great deal of stable confidence behind her.
Chantilly Lace is the pick in the Dahlia Stakes (2.20pm) in what looks a strong renewal. She was set some really tall orders last year off the back of almost no experience, and she acquitted herself really quite well in the Guineas, the Coronation stakes and thereafter. It’s reasonable to think that she got stuck in the mud on her final start, and that was her only disappointment. I think this sort of trip looks like it’s going to suit, and although she’s got a bit to find on ratings, she did well considering the stable wasn’t always firing on all cylinders last year. They seem to be going quite well this term with another Stakes winner yesterday, and I can see her stepping forward quite significantly.
I like the look of Many Men in the 1m6f Handicap (2.55pm). This is a horse who I think is fast becoming Pattern class. I don’t think he ran too badly on his reappearance at Musselburgh, but the ground would have been plenty soft enough for him and a return to a sounder surface should suit ideally. Conditions are very much in his favour and the yard will be buoyed after their excellent 4th in the Guineas yesterday.
True Love is a bit of value against her stable companion, Precise, in the 1,000 Guineas (3.35pm). I think she’s got a little bit more scope to move forward, both physically, and also given the fact we might have just been scratching the surface over sprint distances last season, albeit that she’s by No Nay Never. She is out of a Fastnet Rock mare and one of her siblings stayed at least nine furlongs, so there is a possibility that she’ll see out the mile. That hope is further underlined by a good win over seven furlongs on her comeback. In addition, she may get a better run through the race from her stall than do either of the market principles from stalls one and two. I’m quite tempted by True Love and actually, she’s an each-way price too.
Sunday, Salisbury
The Fillies’ Conditions race (2pm) at Salisbury that appears on ITV today is a pretty tricky race. I’m not sure the two-year-olds that have run so far have set an insurmountable standard yet, and I’m quite tempted at a bit of a price by Nonrem, who represents Brian Meehan. Now, you wouldn’t normally associate Brian with loads of early two-year-old winners, but he’s perfectly capable of getting them ready. This one’s out of a half-sister to a Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner and is more bred for out-and-out classy speed than one or two of these who look as though they might want a little bit further. They’re all of some sort of interest and are from stables that habitually do well at this track, but Nonrem makes a bit of appeal on pedigree.
Sunday, Hamilton
Humble Spark might be the answer to the Buttonhook Handicap (2.40pm) at Hamilton. Although this is a horse who is a bit of a serial loser, he’s just nibbling down the handicap quite a bit to a competitive mark. And if you go back, all his efforts at Hamilton have been really good. He’s either won or been placed every time he’s run here, and he hasn’t run here for quite some time. I think this might have been the target from some way out and the last run ought to have put him spot on. Factor in the useful jockey’s claim as well, and he starts to become quite an interesting proposition.
