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Nick Luck’s blog: Modern News a Perfect punt at Newbury

1 year ago
| BY News Team

The Flat action really ramps up this weekend with top racing from Musselburgh and Newbury, which includes an intriguing-looking Greenham.

Here are Nick Luck’s thoughts on the best of it.

Musselburgh

VALUE THEORY might be just that in the TV opener at Musselburgh on Easter Saturday (1.32pm). This is a pretty straightforward case of a progressive two-year-old over shorter who should just be a whole lot better this year. He’s beautifully drawn provided he can use his natural speed, and he rates a confident shout to place at least at 6/1.

GIOIA CIECA might be the answer at 9/2 to a really spicy Silver Arrow (2.04pm). His win here last year reads well enough, but his run behind Modern News on a sound surface was even better and he is fortunate to be able to race off the same mark here. Again, draw and run style look highly favourable.

DAKOTA GOLD can return to winning ways in the sprint handicap (2.39pm) at 15/2. He’s beginning to look really quite well treated now as a result of a winless year in 2021. That said, his campaign began late and he never really had the rub of the green. He doesn’t want extremes of ground and these conditions should be ideal for him to blast away up the stands side fence from the highest draw.

ENEMY is a pretty fair price at 8/1 for the Queen’s Cup (3.14pm) now that everyone has latched on to Zero Ten. The case for the favourite is obvious, but the selection has pretty compelling claims himself: he ran two really sound races in Dubai against top opposition, and shapes as though this sort of trip will be fine. He’s bred to be a very smart horse, is unexposed and is just the type of horse the trainer does very well with.

Newbury

THUNDEROUS can come out best in the John Porter at Newbury (1.50pm) at 3/1. Although he wasn’t entirely convincing last season, his runs here and at Royal Ascot are the best form on offer here, he has been gelded, and he could quite easily dominate this from the front at a track that suits. Clearly the booking of Christophe Soumillon is a positive as well.

MISS CAROL ANN looks an excellent price at 11/1 in the Fred Darling (2.25pm). Although Wild Beauty sets a decent standard, it’s not an insurmountable one, and I am looking for an improver. The selection made a striking impression on her debut on the Rowley Mile, earning rave reviews from her trainer, but patently failed to handle the swamp here after travelling best in a stakes race. On ability shown, there is no way she should be a bigger price than at least four of those more prominent in the market, and I’m hoping the ground continues to dry.

PERFECT POWER is a horse that I’ve been a bit lukewarm on as regards a Guineas contender, but he’s nonetheless a serious animal and is looking a backable price at 2/1 for the Greenham (3.00pm) now. Although I suspect he may be a sprinter, he has enough stamina in his pedigree and a significantly relaxed style of racing to think this easy seven should be fine. Main rival Angel Bleu looks much more ground contingent (and may be the type to need a run), while Lusail and Flaming Rib are by no means certain stayers either.

MODERN NEWS can bounce back in the Spring Cup (3.35pm) at 5/1. He’s almost certainly better than a handicapper and is better than this mark, but he needs decent ground and a pace, which he didn’t get at Doncaster. The stable could hardly be hotter, and I would expect a big move forward this afternoon.

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