John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Superposition one to note back on all-weather
Superposition is two out of two on the all-weather this year and Ed Dunlop’s gelding can land a good prize in the Seaton Delaval Handicap (15:45), one of a pair of class 2 handicaps on the first day of Newcastle’s three-day Northumberland Plate meeting.
The four-year-old son of Sea The Stars had raced only four times prior to this season but returned from almost a year’s absence and a breathing operation to win a maiden at Southwell in March. While a beaten favourite back on turf in a handicap at Pontefract next time, Superposition resumed winning ways returned to the all-weather in May, this time at Kempton.
It looked a strong race for the grade and Superposition won it impressively, not settling early on but powering clear once leading over a furlong to score by three and a half lengths. While Superposition has disappointed since, that was back on turf at Doncaster where his rider reported he lost his action, but he remains very much of interest on his favoured surface.
This is a good-quality handicap, with top weight Boiling Point, a listed winner last season, running off a BHA mark of 107, while Godwinson has his first run since winning the Lincoln in March. They look the main dangers to Superposition who heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings from another Lincoln winner Mr Professor.
Visor to spice things up for Chillhi
James Owen has a proven knack of improving horses that have come from other yards, so the stable’s new recruit Chillhi was well backed at Wolverhampton last month but proved a disappointment in finishing a never-nearer third, never travelling well after a slow start. On his latest start over hurdles at Bangor when wearing cheekpieces, he was pulled up after a poor round of jumping.
However, Chillhi wouldn’t be the first from his new yard to benefit from the application of headgear and he looks capable of making much more of an impact with a first-time visor fitted for the two-mile handicap at Newmarket (17:20). He’d been tried in both blinkers and cheekpieces by his previous trainer, Brian Ellison.
The step up from a mile and a half at Wolverhampton is another point in Chillhi’s favour and he gets to run from a career-low mark of 61 here, making him the pick of the weights on the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, 3 lb clear. Apprentice or amateur-ridden of late, Silvestre de Sousa takes over in the saddle this time.
Pomme Pomme going for six-timer at Hamilton
Jack Channon’s likeable filly Pomme Pomme hasn’t looked back since going handicapping from a basement mark of just 47 at Bath in mid-May and is now bidding to make it six wins in a row from a BHA mark of 78 in Hamilton’s fillies’ handicap (20:15).
Since that initial win at Bath, Pomme Pomme has gone on to success at Wolverhampton, Chepstow, Bath again, and Haydock. Her latest success came last Saturday in typically uncomplicated fashion as she made all, travelling well as usual, before kicking on two furlongs out to win by two and a quarter lengths from Ottoman, and earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag.
A 6 lb penalty for that success doesn’t look sufficient to spoil her unbeaten record in handicaps as she heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings here and will be partnered again by 5 lb-claimer Rose Dawes who has ridden Pomme Pomme to her last three victories.
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