Sky Sports Racing's Alex Hammond blog and tips: It's great to be back

We’re back! It was a relief and pleasure to return to familiar territory in the Sky Sports Racing studio on Monday for the resumption of British racing.

Newcastle hosted a 10-race card and that was complemented by some top-class action at Deauville in France. Despite the 72-hour declarations that are temporarily in place, there wasn’t one declared non-runner, although there were a few naughty horses that played up at the start and were taken out.

There were some notable performances too, Art Power is a sprinter to follow after he scorched up the Newcastle straight to win a six-furlong Novice for Tim Easterby, Silvestre de Sousa and King Power Racing. If all goes to plan we should see him at Royal Ascot and Sky Bet have him at 25/1 for the Commonwealth Cup, but it seems the new five furlong handicap – the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap - on the same day (Friday) as that Group 1 sprint is the most likely target.

John Gosden has made a flying start to the delayed campaign and the win of Frankly Darling in the mile and a quarter maiden stakes looks like one we will be revisiting as the season progresses.

Gosden has always been happy to run his future stars on the all-weather and has used this track as the launch pad for the careers of Stradivarius, Without Parole and Enable no less, so we need to take this filly very seriously indeed. His daughter of Frankel has the advantage of an early run under her belt and still has a month before Epsom and the Oaks. Sky Bet now have her as a 12/1 shot for that classic on July 3.

Speaking of Gosden, he has a tight looking grip on Friday’s Lingfield Oaks Trial, won last year by subsequent Oaks winner Anapurna for the same stable.

He sends out three of the nine runners and no prizes for saying that Miss Yoda looks like the pick of his trio with Rab Havlin in the saddle. Gosden has won this race three times in the last decade and whilst she faces some decent fillies, I’m happy to have her as my pick.

There are a few other horses I fancy on the card having spent time studying it earlier this week (the advantage of 72 hour decs). Imperium looks to have strong claims in the 3.50pm for Roger Charlton, Royal Dynasty is the one I like in the 5pm for Mohamed Moubarak and Jovial in the 5.35 for Sir Michael Stoute. I’ll be in the studio, so no hiding if they don’t come good!

It is of course a Classic weekend in Newmarket with the 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 on Sunday.

Friday though sees a fascinating clash in the rerouted Coronation Cup. The race was won last year by Defoe in its usual home of Epsom, but his trainer Roger Varian has expressed some concerns about the suitability of its temporary home.

Whilst he’s a winner at Newmarket, Epsom he said, suits better and that coupled with the quick ground might not be ideal.

It’s fascinating to see Stradivarius dropping to a mile and a half for the first time in three years. This is a suitable prep for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in two weeks time for him at his local track.

Ghaiyyath is a monster on his day and goes well fresh, but will the ground be too quick for him too? So, maybe last year’s Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is the value at 11/2 with Sky Bet for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.

Speaking of monsters, Pinatubo will be seen in public for the first time in 2020 in Saturday’s 2000 Guineas. Trainer Charlie Appleby has been keeping schtum about last year’s superstar juvenile, but you get the impression he goes about his business in a professional, but not flashy way.

That doesn’t mean he won’t pick up where he left off, but at 5/6 with Sky Bet I’m happy to leave him from a betting perspective. We’ve all heard the chat about Arizona scorching up the Ballydoyle gallops (faster than the drone used to film him apparently), but I have always been a fan of Kameko and at 7/1 am happy to have Andrew Balding’s Vertem Futurity winner in my team.

His stable have started strongly and clearly have had no problems getting the horses race ready thanks to the magnificent facilities at Park House Stables.

The fillies take centre stage on Sunday and it’s Quadrilateral all the way for me. I interviewed her trainer Roger Charlton a few weeks ago on Sky Sports Racing and he gave us a very positive bulletin about his daughter of Frankel. She’s the market leader for the classic at 5/2 with Sky Bet and that price doesn’t put me off one iota.

At 10/1 Cloak Of Spirits might offer some each way value for Richard Hannon and Andrea Atzeni. Her trainer was gutted when she was well beaten in Doncaster’s May Hill last September, but she acquitted herself better in the Rockfel towards the end of that month and she’s held in high regard by her connections.

Now a few minutes ago I mentioned that John Gosden isn’t afraid to run his future stars on an artificial surface at the beginning of their careers. Well on that note, he send a an intriguing runner to Newcastle on Saturday.

Palace Pier will be odds-on to win the mile handicap due off at 3.15. The colt had been prominent in the market for the 2000 Guineas, but Gosden has chosen a quieter start to this son of Kingman’s season before stepping up in class.

He is unbeaten in two starts as a two year-old, in a maiden and novice stakes and you can imagine he’s the type that could run in the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in a couple of weeks.

Gosden also has a potentially top class horse running at Newmarket on Saturday. Waldkonig is a half-brother to Arc winner Waldgeist and he routed his rivals at Wolverhampton when he made his debut back in December, overcoming inexperience to put distance between himself and his rivals.

In Al Aasy he faces another well regarded three year-old with William Haggas’ son of Sea The Stars being the subject of positive reports.

So, it’s great to be back and wonderful to be talking about so many exciting prospects. I hope you are all still staying safe and well. For now we will all be enjoying these horses on the small screen and that feels like a privilege.

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