Timeform highlight their best bets at Cheltenham and Newmarket on Wednesday in the form of a ratings banker, a big improver and a Timeform flag.
The Ratings Banker
Pocket The Profit – 13.50 Newmarket
Pocket The Profit went on a winning spree for George Boughey in nurseries last October, winning four such races in the space of a fortnight at Brighton, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Yarmouth over distances ranging from five to seven furlongs. He started that winning run on a BHA mark of just 54 but showed that the handicapper still hasn’t got his measure when successful from a mark of 79 when returning to action at Pontefract last week.
Wearing his usual hood, Pocket The Profit took another big step forward at Pontefract, leading early in the straight and drawing clear in the testing conditions to win by four and three quarter lengths from Panama City. That was a good performance on the clock too, and he looks well up to defying the 6 lb penalty he picks up for that win. Getting in at the foot of the weights, he teams up again with Ryan Moore who was successful on him for the last of those wins last season.
The Big Improver
Aldous Huxley – 16.10 Newmarket
Last season's top two-year-old Native Trail should take all the beating in the Craven Stakes for Charlie Appleby, and the Godolphin colours could well be back in the winner’s enclosure in the next race, though this time it’s John and Thady Gosden who would be picking up the trainer’s prize.
Aldous Huxley has strong form claims in this novice contest restricted to horses that have not run more than once. He looked an exciting prospect when making a winning debut in a novice at Kempton last month when recording a very high Timeform rating for a newcomer of 100. Well touted beforehand, Aldous Huxley certainly knew his job and put his field to the sword from a good way out before coming home six and a half lengths clear of runner-up Wholeofthemoon.
That performance was backed up by the clock and the Dante entry looks sure to progress again. He’s certainly bred to go on to better things, being by Dubawi out of a smart listed winner, and is also a brother to Al Nefud who was a smart winner himself in Dubai earlier in the year.
The Timeform Flag
Stolen Silver – 14.05 Cheltenham
Top Rated, Hot Trainer
Trainer Sam Thomas has had much his best season to date judged on prize money, with Iwilldoit’s Welsh Grand National win the highlight and the likes of Before Midnight and Good Risk At All also making sizeable contributions. While the latter pair were out of luck at Aintree last week, the yard remains in good form in the final month of the campaign.
Stolen Silver has run two of his best races of the season at Cheltenham, beaten a neck in a good-quality two-mile contest in November and returning from a break to finish fourth behind course specialist Coole Cody in the Plate at the Festival last time. He faces that rival again here who looks sure to give a good account once more, but Stolen Silver meets him on 8 lb better terms this time, coming out best at the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, and that should be enough to turn the tables on Evan Williams’ runner.
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