Nick Luck’s blog: Racing from both HQ’s

Top quality racing across both codes on Wednesday with the second day of the Craven Meeting along with the first day of the April Meeting at Cheltenham.

Read on for Nick Luck’s thoughts on five races from Newmarket and two from Prestbury Park.

Newmarket

ENSHRINE has a smart enough pedigree to be of interest at 9/4 in the opening maiden on the middle day of Newmarket’s Craven meeting (1.15pm). Although Ameynah looks a tough nut to crack, the selection’s dam has already produced a Group One performer from just one foal to race and is closely related to the brilliant US mare Lady Eli. Sire Ulysses is just starting to fire as his first crop matures, and this one should be able to run for a top stable.

PRINCESS SHABNAM might be worth an interest at 12/1 in the spicy handicap that follows (1.50pm). Sean Woods has his horses in decent nick at this early stage of the season, and this filly was quite a progressive two-year-old, good enough to have a go in stakes company (not disgraced). This trip looks about right for her, we know she can handle the track, and she certainly has the physique to suggest she can do much better still this year.

CAESAR NERO is no more than an educated guess to run well 22/1 in the Wood Ditton (2.25pm). There are many much smarter pedigrees on offer here, but many of those suggest this will be plenty sharp enough, and the selection – nicely enough bred – has a great deal more speed on his page and his stable (often among the winners at this fixture and at this time of year) has its string well forward this year.

GARRUS is probably the play at 9/2 in the Abernant (3.00pm). In truth Ebro River might just blow these apart for speed and class, but it’s a bit of a risk taking such short odds about a three year old against elders when they’ve been very good at two and you’re not sure how they’ve trained on. What we know is that Garrus isn’t far away from the better sprinters on his day, and he has conditions to suit perfectly. He gets a big jockey upgrade, and should move forward from his run at Doncaster, where he looked to be ill at ease on the surface and met trouble in running.

HOO YA MAL is a sporting alternative at 12/1 in the unlikely event that Native Trail fluffs his lines in the Craven (3.35pm). Either way, he could be one for forecast or without favourite betting, as he was so far from the finished article last season, but still exhibited huge promise. Having won the Convivial at York, he somehow just failed against a smart horse at Doncaster but should do much better for the extra distance and can make a big move forward.

Cheltenham

CAPTAIN MORGS can make light of an absence at 5/1 in the televised hurdle at Cheltenham (1.30pm). There are few more ground contingent horses around and his autumn form bears the closest scrutiny in this company.

SIMPLY THE BETTS at 5/1 may never be a better bet than he is in the feature chase (2.05pm). At first glance, you could argue he’s been a bit disappointing for Paul Nicholls but delve deeper and you see a game of two halves. One dismal run came on borderline un-raceable ground and the other when the stable was rank out of form (still didn’t run THAT badly). Both runs were over too far. HIs other two runs (both at this trip) are his best and third best career performances by any measure, and he remains perfectly well treated on those efforts. By way of example, he is 11 pounds better off with Coole Cody than when they would have finished just about upsides in the Paddy Power.