Timeform highlight a ratings banker, a big improver and a Flag to note from Friday's busy afternoon of racing.
The Ratings Banker
Prince Of Pillo – 13:50 Newmarket
The heavy favourite Commissioning appears to have a significant class edge over her seven rivals in the Fillies’ Mile, but perhaps more interesting for betting purposes is Prince Of Pillo, who is himself 6 lb clear of the other two-year-olds assembled for the Group Three Cornwallis Stakes on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.
After winning two of his first three starts, his only defeat coming when fourth having met trouble in the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster, Prince Of Pillo then took a big step forward when running out a totally dominant winner in Listed company at Ayr last time.
He was mightily impressive in both the way he tanked through that race (soon prominent despite being the slowest from the stalls) and in how he lengthened clear when asked, ultimately landing the spoils by three and a half lengths.
That was a borderline smart performance and just a repeat of that form will make Prince of Pillo very much the one to beat as he seeks his biggest success yet.
The Big Improver
Holly – 16:00 Chepstow
Away from the ITV cameras, Holly is definitely a mare to look out for when she makes her handicap debut over hurdles in the penultimate race on Chepstow’s card.
A dual Grade Three bumper winner in France before joining the Jonjo O’Neill yard, Holly shaped as if needing the run when fifth on her hurdling debut at Uttoxeter last October and duly left that form well behind when winning next-time-out at Wincanton in December.
Put simply, Holly looked something out of the ordinary such was the ease of that success, cruising clear on the run-in to win by seven lengths having jumped superbly throughout. The form has also worked out well in the interim as the next four home have all improved markedly, including the runner-up Storm Dennis, who won twice at Huntingdon and Kempton earlier this year.
Holly, on the other hand, has been absent since which suggests she might have had a setback, but she reappears this season with her potential fully intact.
She has the large ‘P’ attached to her Timeform rating which denotes that she is open to significant improvement and it will certainly be a surprise if she isn’t capable of winning handicaps from a BHA mark of 125.
The Timeform Flag
La Yakel – 16:10 Newmarket
Horse In Focus, Timeform Top Rated, Hot Trainer
It could be a big weekend in the trainers’ championship and Charlie Appleby and William Haggas both field interesting contenders in this valuable handicap worth over £60,000 to the winner.
Appleby is mob-handed with First Ruler – the apparent stable first string on jockey bookings – Al Nafir, Cosmic Desert and Wild Crusade, but preference is for one of Haggas’ two runners in the shape of La Yakel, who looked a horse going places when making a successful handicap debut in a similar event at Ascot last time.
The official winning margin there was just half a length, but La Yakel was arguably value for extra given how things developed, looking well on top at the finish despite coming from much further back than the other placed horses, the first three pulling a few lengths clear of the rest.
The manner of that victory suggests La Yakel was full value for a 5 lb rise in the weights and his scope for more improvement suggests he really ought to take plenty of beating in his hat-trick bid, particularly with the Haggas yard still in such good form (73% of horses running to form).
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