Ben Linfoot tipped Ayr Silver Cup winner Wobwobwob at 10/1 in his last preview - he now has three selections for day two of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket on Friday.
The Verdict: Friday, September 29
1pt e.w. Astral Beau in the 1.50 Newmarket at 14/1 (Coral 1/5 1,2,3,4, 12/1 General)
1pt e.w. Peripatetic in 2.25 Newmarket at 25/1 (Coral 1/5 1,2,3,4, 22/1 General)
1pt win Mighty Ulysses in the 3.35 Newmarket at 5/1 (General)
Mighty bet in the Joel Stakes
Day two of the Cambridgeshire meeting at Newmarket and the ITV3 cameras are on the Rowley Mile for a Listed contest and a trio of Group races including the feature Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Joel Stakes over a mile.
Mutasaabeq has a terrific record on this course with Rowley Mile form figures of 1-1-7-1-1, but he carries a Group 2 penalty here and he has been well found in the market, so I’d rather take him on.
Chindit looks the obvious one to take him on with given his excellent current form, but in stark contrast to Mutasaabeq he hasn’t looked as comfortable on the Newmarket undulations and I’m not convinced he’ll back-up quickly with another good run for the third time in less than three weeks.
Maljoom could be rusty after a long time off, as well, so by process of elimination I’m drawn to the claims of MIGHTY ULYSSES who looks a fair bet at 5/1 for John & Thady Gosden.
The lightly-raced four-year-old does have form at this course, having hacked up in his novice here, such was his progression at the time that he ran in the St James’s Palace Stakes two starts later.
He ran well, too, and while he hasn’t contested a race at the top-level since he looks to be working his way back towards that sort of standard following a dead-heat for first place in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last time.
A tad unlucky not to win that race outright, he was joined on the line on the bob by Roger Varian’s three-year-old, Embesto, a good horse getting 6lb on the weight for age who runs in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp on Saturday.
It was a clear step in the right direction for Mighty Ulysees, as he had looked laboured on his return from 329 days off the track in the Summer Mile at Ascot, the addition of both the cheekpieces and Oisin Murphy seeming to suit him.
Both of those factors are in play in the Joel Stakes and Murphy rides the Rowley Mile well, so much so it’s hard to see Jim Crowley being allowed to dominate as he would like on Mutasaabeq, with Mighty Ulysees taken to sit on his shoulder before pouncing in the final quarter-mile.
The Verdict: Back MIGHTY ULYSSES in the Joel Stakes
Beau selected in the opener
Earlier on the card ASTRAL BEAU appeals in the opening Listed Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai British EBF Rosemary Stakes at 14/1 getting four places.
Pam Sly’s four-year-old carries a penalty for her Listed success at Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting in the spring, but she has a class edge on several of these rivals and at this track she’s fancied to give the weight away.
The daughter of Brazen Beau has a terrific record on the Rowley Mile, winning two handicaps at this track this time last year, while she was far from disgraced when third behind Via Sistina and Al Husn over a trip that stretched her in the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at the Guineas meeting.
That’s not the only piece of form that suggests she’s worth more than her official rating of 105, with both her subsequent runs hinting the same, and she should be in peak condition for another strong autumn following a 77-day break.
A winner first time out in both her seasons in training, she goes well fresh and she can bely her big odds under regular pilot Shane Kelly.
The Verdict: Back ASTRAL BEAU in the 1.50 Newmarket
Peripatetic to travel nicely for Doyle
Finally, PERIPATETIC looks big odds north of 20/1 getting four places in the Group 3 Princess Royal Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Stakes over 1m4f at 2.25.
The daughter of Ulysses traded at 1.08 in-running in this race last year when skipping a few lengths clear, only to be caught by Eternal Pearl on the line.
That was a career-best effort at the time, but she bettered it when winning at Goodwood first time out this year and excuses can be made for her last two runs.
David Egan went easy on her when she was headed at Haydock two starts ago, while last time she didn’t handle the extremely heavy ground at soggy Goodwood.
Given time to recover from that, she’ll be a different proposition back on nice ground at a track she likes and she could get the run of this in a prominent position under James Doyle.
The Verdict: Back PERIPATETIC in the 2.25 Newmarket
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 28/09/23
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