The Richard Hannon stable – father and son – has won the Super Sprint at Newbury eight times in all, which is no great surprise given the sheer number of speedily-bred juveniles at their disposal. The yard sends six contenders to this year’s race and will doubtless pepper the target but none stands out as a blot on the weights, which include an allowance of 1lb for each £3,000 below £50,500 paid for a runner at auction, up to a minimum weight of 8st.
This is, admittedly, quite fiddly but it also tends to favour the very shrewdest of the shrewd, who can spot potential at a bargain-basement price. Few can match the Easterby clan for canniness and Tim Easterby, who has saddled three winners in the last 16 years, has a very live contender in Excessable (3.45).
He cost only 8,000 guineas as a foal and a little less when returned to the ring as a yearling but was a ready winner on his debut at Ripon in April and then a close second to Lydia’s Place, who has franked the form since, at Beverley. Excessable was still showing hints of inexperience there and, with normal progress and only 8st 3lb on his back, he is definitely the one to beat.
1.40 Newmarket There is a case to be argued for nine of the 10 runners here, with lightly raced three-year-olds like Algaith taking on hard-bitten handicappers like the nine-year-old Directorship, who was winning races before most of his opponents were foaled. Secret Art is up 4lb for his recent defeat of Directorship at Windsor but Callum Shepherd takes off 7lb and he is a straightforward ride in a contest where three regular front-runners – Ifwecan, Algaith and Boonga Roogeta – will be vying for the lead.
2.00 Newbury Sealife will attract plenty of support after a strong winning debut at Windsor earlier this month and could well follow up but this is much tougher and Rekdhat could give her most to do. Roger Varian’s string is in excellent form and Rekdhat drops back to handicap company here after running well in a Listed race last time out.
2.15 Newmarket Jordan Princess and Arabian Comet bring the best form, with marginal preference for the former since her profile has remained progressive this season despite two defeats, first when finding trouble in running on her seasonal debut and then when close behind the first three in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks. Arabian Comet is a tough opponent for an in-form trainer in William Haggas but might need a little further to show her best.
2.35 Newbury Consort will start favourite to back up his excellent run to finish third behind Gleneagles in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and after only three runs he has obvious scope for improvement too. The bare ratings do not justify his short price, however, and while Mustadeem attracted less attention when third to Time Test in the Tercentenary Stakes at the same meeting, that also looks like strong form and at today’s 10-furlong trip too. Intilaaq, like Consort, arrives from Group One company having finished 15th of 18 in the 2,000 Guineas but again is not certain to improve for a step up in trip.
2.55 Market Rasen John Ferguson has two very obvious candidates in Buckwheat and Commissioned but Aidan Coleman is aboard the former and that tips the balance. Like most of Ferguson’s stable, both are bred to win at a high level on the Flat – Buckwheat is by Manduro out of a Sadler’s Wells mare – and even a rise of 13lb for winning a six-runner handicap at Aintree in June may not be enough to stop him. Buckwheat’s winning margin was four and a half lengths but he had plenty in hand and can continue his progress here.
3.10 Newbury Portamento is making the step up to Group Three level a week after his comfortable success in a Chester handicap off a mark of 104. That was his first start since April and only his second since December, so there must be a concern that he will find this coming too soon, but anything close to the level he showed seven days ago should be enough to beat today’s field, with Watchable most likely to benefit if Charlie Appleby’s colt runs below his best.
3.30 Market Rasen Dan Skelton has 23 winners already in the 2015-16 jumps season and a strike-rate of 35%. Pumped Up Kicks ended the last campaign with victories at Cheltenham – by nine lengths off a mark of 121 – and Warwick and can maintain the upward curve with success off 132 here.
