Ante-post preview for the Weatherbys Super Sprint

Recommended bets:

0.5pt win Falabelle in Weatherbys Super Sprint at 25/1 

2.5pt win Apphia in Betbright Aphrodite Stakes at 5/1

There's a relatively quiet Saturday ahead after struggling to know which way to turn last weekend and even jump racing steps into the limelight again with the Summer Plate card at Market Rasen.

The layers have not only priced up the two big handicaps there but most of the contests at Newbury where the Weatherbys Super Sprint takes centre stage.

It doesn't appear to be a vintage renewal of the valuable contest despite the presence of the 101 rated De Bruyne Horse and 95 rated Maggies Angel among the entries.

Those two horses sit atop the ante-post market and respresent stables that have enjoyed plenty of success in this race and in races of this type in general. De Bruyne Horse won the Woodcote Stakes at the Derby meeting (a former Listed contest) and was beaten under three lengths in the Coventry before struggling in Ireland but he has to concede 12lbs to the Dark Angel filly.

The fairer sex have enjoyed a fine time in this contest since flying filly Lyric Fantasy won the second renewal all the way through to the success of Mrs Danvers 12 months ago. 

Unlike her market rival, Maggies Angel has form over the minimum trip and chased home a stablemate in a Listed race last time and is the form choice from among a strong entry from Richard Fahey as well as being the pick at the weights on the official figures (such as they are).

Runners towards the top of the market have a decent record in this five furlong contest but there have also been winners returned at 20/1, 25/1 and 28/1 in recent years and two of those bigger priced winners had finished down the field at Royal Ascot on their previous start. 

Corinthia Knight could only finish in midfield in the Windsor Castle Stakes but he is only 8/1 off the back of that effort and it may be worth looking further afield this year.

Not many maidens win this but it's been an interrupted season for Kevin Ryan and his Falabelle was only beaten a short-head on debut before being demoted to third. That form as it stands reads well and it's reasonable to expect improvement for that initial experience.

Ryan has yet to win this race but has hit the crossbar on a number of occasions and it wouldn't be a surprise if this speedily bred filly proved good enough to have a say in the outcome.

She's worth a small interest at 25/1 and might be worth considering each-way on the day if her price holds up with firms likely to offer enhanced places.

The rest of Newbury looked decidedly tricky to my eye and of more appeal is the Betbright Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket where they're betting 5/1 the field.

There are a few ifs and buts flying around for a number of the runners, including Smart Together who was considered at 'a price', but there are no such concerns with the favourite, Apphia (pictured right in red and black), if you take her run in the Ribblesdale Stakes at face value.

She came home from off the pace to finish a good fifth, just four lengths behind Coronet, on what was only her third career start. That was obviously a big step up from her maiden and there are rivals for Saturday's race who may also be capable of making a similar leap now faced with the opportunity.

Connections have always held their daughter of High Chaparral in high regard and   their decision, having previously erred towards a more cautious approach, to run at Royal Ascot was vindicated by a big run. 

It may not have been the strongest renewal but the form still reads well in the context of Saturday's Listed race and she's a worthy favourite in a contest that Palmer saddled the second home (albeit a filly with a very different profile) in 12 months ago.

Apphia comes into the race on the back of a good run, a performance which gives her leading claims as it stands and one which she is perfectly entitled to build upon. 

Posted 1933 on 18/07/2017