Top commentator Simon Holt previews Saturday's feature racing and he fancies the chances of Just Hubert each-way in the Northumberland Plate.
JUST HUBERT, a stayer who progressed nicely last season and is likely to be much better for a recent run at Haydock, can out-run his odds in Saturday's highly competitive Betfair Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.
The son of Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden ran as if needing that reappearance outing but performed better than his finishing position (last of six beaten just over four lengths) behind Moon King suggests as he moved up promisingly on the outside a couple of furlongs from home and wasn't knocked about when beaten.
Many of his in-form trainer William Muir's horses are improving plenty for an outing this season, and Just Hubert's three victories in 2019 culminated in a defeat of the re-opposing Anyonecanhaveitall at Musselburgh over this trip of two miles.
Now 5lb better off with the runner-up who has done nothing but advertise that form subsequently (and should again run well here), Martin Dwyer's mount has a good draw near the inside which can be important in this race, was beaten only narrowly on one previous excursion on an all-weather surface and looks worth an each-way interest at a big price.
At the top of the market, it all looks very tight with very little separating Australis and Caravan Of Hope on their running at Wolverhampton earlier in the month while Rainbow Dreamer went up again for his creditable fourth behind Nayef Road here last time and Carnwennan hasn't been able to defy a higher mark since winning the Northumberland Vase (Plate consolation race) at this meeting last year.
Earlier, VIRGIN SNOW is taken to defy a rise in class in the Betfair Exchange Hoppings Fillies Stakes.
Ed Dunlop's Gleneagles filly is the second foal of the trainer's multiple Group One winner Snow Fairy and took a big step forward when landing a handicap over this trip at Haydock recently on her first outing since last August.
It was hard not to be taken with that success as Virgin Snow had to wait for a run but, once into the clear, she responded instantly to one strike of the whip from Jim Crowley to gallop past the front-running Godolphin filly Beautiful Illusion who had won her previous two starts.
Obviously this is another rise in class and, even though Virgin Snow (now ridden by Ben Curtis) has gone up 6lb for that success, she still has something to find here on ratings with Aloe Vera and Look Around. But, if she's anything like her mother, there could be a great deal of improvement to come and Dunlop has produced a 22% win-rate in the past fortnight.
Posted at 1520 BST on 26/06/20
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