No rain but More Thunder looks set to hit Newmarket
AS WE head towards the weekend and an incoming heatwave, the ground is sure to be rattling quick come the Saturday of Newmarket’s three-day July Festival.
Conditions will pose no worry to connections of leading Bunbury Cup (2.50pm) hope, MORE THUNDER, who flew home to miss out by the narrowest of margins in the Wokingham on quick ground at Ascot three weeks ago.
William Haggas’ four-year-old came from a near impossible position, eating up huge amounts of ground in the closing stages to lose out on the bob at the line.
That effort marked him out as a horse that had huge amounts in hand off his current handicap mark of 98.
He clearly saw that stiff six furlongs out very well and I feel that there will be even more to come from him stepped up to seven here.
When trained by Sir Michael Stoute last season, he was campaigned over 10 furlongs, so he clearly has plenty of stamina.
He looks to be the archetypal Group horse masquerading in a handicap, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rated 10 to 15 pounds above his current mark come the end of the season.
That will open the door to Group races, and the newly upgraded Group One City Of York Stakes during the Ebor Festival looks a likely target for him, so it could be worth taking the 20/1 available ante-post before Saturday.
If Group Ones could be on the agenda, he must have a massive chance in this handicap and I think he can prove head and shoulders above this opposition.
While his price is far shorter than I would usually advise in this column, I can’t get away from his claims, and 5/2 could be an even skinnier price come the off.
The feature race at Newmarket is the Group One July Cup (4.35pm), which saw a twist earlier in the week when last year’s 2000 Guineas winner, Notable Speech, was supplemented at a cost of £36,000.
While he certainly has the class to take a race of this nature, he has only raced over a mile in his career to date and I’d have reservations about taking a short price about him on his first go at six furlongs.
Whistlejacket ran no sort of race in the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot on conditions that might have been too quick for him, and it may be a similar story here.
Instead, it’s worth giving our old friend BIG MOJO another chance after little went right for him in the Commonwealth Cup.
He did well to finish as close as he did, having been given plenty to do and being hampered when starting his run from the back of the field.
Mick Appleby’s colt needs a strongly run six furlongs and there’s every chance this race should set up better for him.
He’ll need luck once again, as he likes to be played late, but Tom Marquand partnered him to victory at Ascot back in April and should know when to push the button.
At 16/1, he’s overpriced and is well worth an each-way interest.
Another to keep a close eye on is the Kevin Ryan-trained AIN’T NOBODY in the Listed City Walls Stakes (2.35pm) at York.
He’s run three very respectable races in Group races this season, last time out when beaten just over five lengths in the Commonwealth Cup, and in each of them has looked to be crying out for the drop back to five furlongs.
A good winner in Listed company last season, he looks set to go close back at this level, and the 5/1 on offer at this stage is more than fair.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Ain’t Nobody 2.35pm York
More Thunder 2.50pm Newmarket
Big Mojo e/w 4.35pm Newmarket