IF YOU WANNABE A WINNER

Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting goes into its second day today with the highlight being the Group 2 Shadwell Joel Stakes. It looks a race full of quality but also one that is very wide open as you could a give chance to at least half a dozen of these. WANNABE YOURS is one of those. A horse who is unbeaten so far this season, he put up a career best last time out in the Thoroughbred Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and it was his trainer John Gosden's comments following that race which were rather interesting. He said that he could be a horse who is good enough to emulate star stablemate Kingman in winning the Sussex Stakes next year. If we are to believe he could be of that class, he should go very well today.

Wannabe Yours (far right)

Another horse who has been notching up plenty of victories lately and is in the form of his life is CUSTOM CUT. Although this is the toughest race he's faced for a long time, he could be worth chancing at a double figure price. He is tough and looks sure to put in a bold showing.

Another Group 2 on the card is the Rockfel Stakes for two year old fillies. The short favourite is Jim Bolger's Lucida. This is due to her very narrow defeat at the hands of Cursory Glance in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. She no doubt sets the standard her but there are other smart juveniles in the field, namely NEW PROVIDENCE who beat the smart Marsh Hawk in a Group 3 last time out and before that came second behind the solid Mubtaghaa in the big sales race at York's Ebor festival. She could be set to provide trainer Hugo Palmer with yet another big race winner in what has been a fruiful season for the Newmarket based trainer.

Another trainer who has had a very good season, especially with his two year olds is Karl Burke. His WHAT SAY YOU won her maiden at the second time of asking and did so very nicely. Her trainer seems to think she will be right there at the finish which suggests that this Galileo filly might be a dark horse in this. Calypso Beat and Fadhayyil also have chances.

2:10 Newmarket- The favorite Criteria has gone very close on many occasion this season but has always found at least one too good and today would appear to be no exception. Queen Of Ice won last time out but that was under a canny ride and a repeat performance cannot be guaranteed. MY SPIRIT has raced as though this trip would be in her favour and her form is solid. The biggest danger may be Jordan Princess. She also looks as though the twelve furlong trip would favour her but her form does not look as strong as some of her opposition, as she only narrowly won a Class 3 handicap on her last run.

3:45 Newmarket- St Leger fourth Windshear no doubt sets the standard here but Mike De Kock's represnrative FLYING THE FLAG looks interesting. He would have come on plenty for his last run behind Custom Cut at York and the step up in trip should be in his favour. As for the rest, Nabucco, Penglai Pavilion, Ayrad and Magic Hurricane probably want more cut, Red Galileo's trainer Ed Dunlop is a little out of form and Harris Tweed does not look the force of old.


5:00 Newmarket- The Silver Cambridgeshire could go to one of the less exposed types in GM HOPKINS. He's two from two this season and his genius trainer surely must think he has a good chance in this extremely competitive affair or else he might not have run him given his age and relative inexperience.


A couple for Haydock too, LAP OF LUXURY (2:00) is nicely bred and runs for top connections so should go close first time out whilst YOURARTISONFIRE (4:10) always runs well at Haydock and should go close again.

Enjoy your Friday


Happy Punting!