Our form expert has three selections for Saturday's action at Newmarket and Newbury.
The Verdict: Saturday May 17
2pts win Al Aasy in 12.50 Newbury at 4/1 (BetVictor, Ladbrokes)
1pt win Harvard Sound in 1.05 Newmarket at 17/2 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
1pt win Nebras in 2.00 Newbury at 6/1 (General)
London calling for Nebras
The Group 1 BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes takes centre stage at Newbury on Saturday and it’s a crackerjack renewal with Rosallion, Notable Speech and Fallen Angel returning against Tamfana and Dancing Gemini, who are fit and firing.
Much will depend on tactics here and if Fallen Angel is fit to do herself justice she looks a massive price, but Karl Burke’s words of caution regarding her homework are somewhat off-putting even if you tend to take trainer quotes with a pinch of salt.
It looks a very tricky race to try and unravel, Notable Speech and Rosallion the two to beat if they are on-song, but with many imponderables it looks a race to watch and learn from.
The preceding Trade Nation London Gold Cup Handicap over 10 furlongs is another race that is often a launchpad for a Group-class performer and class has tended to rise to the top in this heat in recent years.
In the last five renewals the winner has come from the top four in the weights and the market expects that to happen again with NEBRAS, Genealogy and Saddadd, the top three in the weights, heading the betting.
Preference is for John & Thady Gosden’s Nebras, a Dubawi half-brother to Nashwa who will likely be competing in Group races sooner rather than later.
He improved significantly from his Southwell return when running second in the Listed Newmarket Stakes at the Guineas meeting, coming from last to second in the style of a horse that will have more to offer with that run under his belt.
It was his first go at 10 furlongs and it sparked serious improvement, while galloping Newbury is expected to suit as it did Nashwa, who won at this meeting on her second run of the season as a three-year-old.
Nebras has a similar profile to the same stable’s Israr, another choicely-bred improver who won this race from a big weight having prepped by being placed at Newmarket on his previous run.
A strong gallop looks likely and that would suit this hold-up performer, who can come through horses late to land the spoils under Hollie Doyle.
The Verdict: Back NEBRAS in the 2.00 Newbury
Walk in the Park for Al Aasy
Earlier on at Newbury William Haggas’ eight-year-old AL AASY can see off a host of younger guns by landing the Group 3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes for a second time.
Haggas has won this race a few times with horses running under Group 3 penalties and Al Aasy has to give weight to everything after returning with a win in the Group 3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown over 10 furlongs.
That assignment looked a bit sharp for him first time up, but he defied those fears with an excellent display, the likes of clearcut Middleton winner See The Fire beaten in behind.
Al Aasy historically comes forward from his first run, so improvement is expected now he goes back out in trip to 1m4f and Newbury has regularly brought out the best in him over the years given he has won four times at this track.
He has often displayed the gears to cope with smaller field tactical races that aren’t run at an end-to-end gallop, one of the reasons he has struck six times at Group 3 level, and with that scenario looking likely again here I want him on my side.
His rivals have question marks against them, as Sunway is hard to win with, King’s Gambit went off the boil in the second half of last season, Courage Mon Ami is returning from a long absence and El Cordobes has to step up significantly on everything he’s done.
Al Aasy is showing no signs of regression and this type of contest is perfect for him.
The Verdict: Back AL AASY in the 12.50 Newbury
Sound case at Newmarket
Finally, Tom Clover’s HARVARD SOUND is worth backing in the Read Meg Nicholls' Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap over seven furlongs at Newmarket.
This horse looked right at home on fast turf last season when running away with a couple of races on good to firm ground at Lingfield and he came down 5lb in three runs on the all-weather in the winter.
He didn’t run badly at all in a couple of them, particularly when third to Run Boy Run at Southwell, but he’s expected to resume his improvement back on the grass.
Vicario can give him a nice tow into this and it’s interesting to see Tom Clover apply the cheekpieces in a bid to sharpen him up.
Clover has a respectable record with the p1 (five wins from 30 at 16.67%) and this horse’s half-brother, King Of Speed, was a winner in cheekpieces.
If he can break well and travel for Neil Callan I’m sure he’s handicapped to have a say, so it’s worth rolling the dice on the sheepskin sparking a winning run.
The Verdict: Back HARVARD SOUND in the 1.05 Newmarket
Preview posted at 1605 BST on 16/05/25
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