The best bets from our Timeform team ahead of Saturday's action from Newmarket, Punchestown and Thirsk.
ERZINDJAN - 14.20 Newmarket (Rory King)
He may have only a ‘4’ in his form figures for the Cambridgeshire but in hammering the other 11 who raced on the stand side, Erzindjan was in effect a 4½-length winner of a ‘race’ that included Urban Lion, the subsequent Lincoln winner, Ebt’s Guard who was just pipped in the Balmoral on his next start and Mister Winston who was a cosy winner at the Craven meeting, and he returns to the same C&D from a mark just 1 lb higher. Admittedly he is 8, but he showed last year that he’s undoubtedly still got the talent to win a big prize when things drop right, and having shaped well to be placed in the John Smith’s Cup on his first run last year hopefully fitness won’t be an issue in a race that's presumably been his intended starting point all along.
DISTANT STORM - 15.35 Newmarket (David Johnson)
Things might look a little different in the immediate aftermath of the race, but this doesn't look a strong 2000 Guineas and I'm confident that Distant Storm can reverse placing with Gstaad from the Dewhurst and provide Charlie Appleby with his fourth 2000 Guineas and third in a row. There's a possibility that the Dewhurst just came a little too soon for Distant Storm after he'd looked a colt of considerable potential when winning the Somerville Stakes over that C&D the previous month, showing the kind of turn of foot synonymous with a 2000 Guineas as he came home 4¾ lengths ahead of Commander's Intent. He has a bit to find to win a Guineas, but that's true about all of these and he could hardly be better bred with the Guineas in mind, by 2014 winner Night of Thunder and out of Date With Destiny who was the only foal to be sired by 2006 winner George Washington.
KATS BOB - 15.55 Thirsk (Kieran Clark)
Another week, another northern Saturday meeting where prominent racers are heavily favoured on the sprint track. The betting will probably favour those half his age with less-exposed profiles, though Kats Bob is an 8-y-o who must be a pleasure to own, winning as many as 5 times last season. He made an excellent return when second in a race that's already working out and can have a line put through his latest start when drawn on the "wrong" part of the track. The only confirmed front runner in the field, he could take some pegging back representing a yard which tends to thrive at this time of year.
JUMP ALLEN - 17.30 Punchestown (Billy Nash)
Jump Allen went into a whole host of notebooks when a never-nearer third in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham and looks to have a great chance of going a couple of places better here. He came good around this time last year and arrives here fresher than most after a light campaign. It is easy to make a case for quite a few in this race, including a number of his stable companions, but Jump Allen is the only one in the race with a p on his Timeform rating and looks the one they all have to beat, especially with Paul Townend taking over in the saddle.
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