Andrew Asquith provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Three points of interest
Dark Shore looks well treated on nursery debut
Charlie Appleby has won the last three renewals of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Nursery Handicap (14:25) at Newmarket, but Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Dark Shore looks handicapped to break that trend.
He cost 420,000 guineas as a yearling and shaped with plenty of promise in a valuable maiden over six furlongs at Ascot on debut in July, and that race is working out very well indeed, the winner going on to win the Mill Reef.
Dark Shore showed improved form upped to an extended seven furlongs when runner-up to a next-time-out winner at Ffos Las last month, beaten only by a next-time-out winner and some in behind have done no harm for the form, either.
Sporting a first-time hood, he may not have been suited by the drop back in trip at Newbury last time, but he bumped into one who looks set to become a very smart sprinter next season on that occasion.
The stamina in Dark Shore’s pedigree suggests he’ll relish this step up to a mile now and a quick glance through his form tells you that an opening mark of 78 could well underestimate him, especially given he’s open to further improvement.
Prescott has good recent record at Pontefract
Sir Mark Prescott has won with four of his last seven runners at Pontefract over the last year or so, and Demetrius looks set to run a big race in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Nursery Handicap (15:18) on Thursday.
He showed clear signs of experience on his first three starts and, while he improved on nursery debut at Kempton last month, he still looked rough around the edges, doing all of his best work in the closing stages.
The addition of headgear worked the oracle when winning back-to-back handicaps at Catterick and Chelmsford on his next two starts, alternating between cheekpieces and a visor.
That form is solid enough and, though he was unable to complete a hat-trick over seven furlongs at Haydock last time, he did run his best race to date despite not fully seeing out that longer trip.
The return to six furlongs should suit, especially at this stiff track, and from just 1lb higher, with the visor back on, he seems sure to launch another bold bid.
Appleby and Buick dynamite on Rowley Mile
Charlie Appleby and William Buick are a combination to follow on the Rowley Mile, with an overall strike rate of 34% and a £1 level-stakes profit of over £143. They team up together with the exciting Distant Storm in the Tattersalls Stakes (Somerville) (15:35) on Thursday.
His sales price rose exponentially to €1,900,000 at the breeze-ups earlier this year and he landed the odds on his debut on the July Course. He had clearly been showing up well at home and, though the winning margin was only a short head, the runner-up has won twice since, notably a Group 2 at the Curragh.
There are several other next-time-out winners that have come out of that race, too, including stablemate Catullus, and he is well worth another chance to build on that promise having failed to meet market expectations in the Acomb Stakes at York last time.
Distant Storm failed to settle in the first half of that race and that clearly had an affect on his finishing effort, having nothing left to give in the final furlong. That experience at a higher level will not be lost on him and he’s a horse who remains with bundles of potential.
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