Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Potential Group horses in handicaps at Newmarket
The term 'Group horse in a handicap' may be a well-worn cliché, but there are a couple of standout contenders at Newmarket on Saturday who may well be running at a higher level later in the season.
More Thunder was campaigned over nine and ten furlongs by Sir Michael Stoute last season but reappeared in a six-furlong handicap at the Craven meeting last month on his first start for William Haggas. More Thunder, who is out of a six-furlong listed winner, coped really well with the different test and came home powerfully to finish nicely on top, scoring by a length and three-quarters. He's completely unexposed as a sprinter, so retains the Timeform 'small p' to highlight he is likely capable of better, and he's the one to beat under a 5 lb penalty in the six-furlong handicap (13:45).
More Thunder looks a smart prospect, but Hand of God, who contests the following nine-furlong handicap (14:20), has reached a level of form that suggests he would already be well worth his place in listed or minor Group company.
He won both starts in handicaps last season, including the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot where he powered home to justify good support in the style of a fast-improving colt. He wasn't seen out for the remainder of the campaign - and has been gelded prior to his return - but he remains with untapped potential and can prove a cut above his rivals on what may well prove to be his final start in handicaps.
Thecompanysergeant can give the Plate form a further boost
The first two home in the Plate Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival have yet to run, but the form in behind has been given a couple of boosts.
Masaccio was no match for Jagwar and Thecompanysergeant, who had the race to themselves up the run-in, but he ran creditably in third and backed that up by winning a good-quality novice handicap chase at Ayr. Fifth-placed Jordans also did his bit for the form by running a cracker to finish runner-up in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National Festival, while sixth-placed Riaan found only one too strong in a valuable handicap at the Punchestown Festival earlier this week.
The way that form is working out reflects well on runner-up Thecompanysergeant who moved through the race like a well-handicapped horse on only his second start for Gavin Cromwell (was previously with Denis Hogan) and still held every chance jumping the final fence.
He found Jagwar too strong up the hill, but there was no shame in finishing runner-up to one of the most progressive chasers in training who was making it four wins from five starts over fences. That effort marked Thecompanysergeant out as one likely to be of interest next time - as highlighted by Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag, and that's especially true now he reverts to hurdling at Punchestown (17:25) from a 6 lb lower mark than the one he competed from at Cheltenham.
Skeltons have a strong team at Uttoxeter
Dan and Harry Skelton have unsurprisingly proved the most prolific trainer-jockey combination at Uttoxeter since the start of the 2020 jumps season, with the brothers combining for 39 winners at a strike rate of 24.5%.
They will be hopeful of adding to that tally on Saturday as they team up on four occasions and have some strong chances. They combine in the feature Staffordshire Plate (17:55) with Coco Mademoiselle who made amends for an unfortunate exit at Cheltenham's April meeting when comfortably winning a handicap chase at Perth last week, earning Timeform's Horse In Focus Flag. She won by two and a half lengths but the way she cruised clear under minimal pressure suggests she was value for more than that margin, and a 7 lb rise in the weights may not be enough to stop her.
In the penultimate event on the card, division one of the two-mile handicap hurdle (19:30), Victory Club is a fascinating runner having rejoined the yard following a spell with Harriet Dickin. Victory Club ended his time with Dickin badly out of form, but he has fallen a long way in the weights as a consequence and is potentially very well treated based on the form he showed in a couple of bumpers during his initial spell with Skelton. Even on the form he showed when runner-up in a maiden hurdle for Dickin at Wincanton last spring, he comes out 6 lb clear on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings.
The Skeltons' representative in the concluding handicap hurdle (20:00), Our Lil, also has a clear edge on Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings and heads the list by 4 lb. Our Lil made no impact on her handicap debut at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago, but she faced a stiff task there from 9 lb out of the weights and she takes a marked drop in class here.
Settle Down Jill also faced a tough task at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago when making her hurdling debut in a mares' listed race, but she is in calmer waters in the opening maiden hurdle (16:10) and is open to improvement.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org
