15:50 Newbury
It may seem very obvious just looking at the jockey’s silks but the black and green colours of owner Mrs Patricia Pugh have scooped the headlines for the past few years. It’s highly unlikely that Alph is going to live up to stablemate Altior’s excerpts but he’s been found a race that, on paper, looks pretty easy for him to shake off his maiden tag. A very encouraging second-placed effort on his racecourse debut at Ludlow back in May should stand him in good stead this afternoon and expect him to go one better as he makes his return from a sizeable absence.
The Ben Pauling trained The Macon Lugnatic looks the most obvious threat after his second-place run at Uttoxeter in November but a subsequent sixth-placed effort at Warwick on New Year’s Eve so at what level he will return is up for debate.
Newcomers Molly Olly Wishes and Midnight Glance are likely to be the best of those making their racecourse debut and will be the ones fighting it out for minor honours.
ALPH (WIN) – NAP
15:30 Lingfield
Finding a horse to back in such a low-grade race can often be tricky to find but there seems to be a potential diamond in the rough in the form of Mark Johnstone’s Galitello. After three decent enough maiden efforts this four-year-old gelding is still yet to finish with his head in front however he makes his first step into handicap company. Given a decent handicap mark, to begin with, he’s got a great chance of losing his maiden tag.
The nicely bred Rare has put in a couple of positive efforts but seems very hit and miss, if he can put it all together expect him to be in the mix.
Course winner Attain has put in a string of decent efforts here at Lingfield but at the age of ten, his best days seem to be long gone although it may be a tad foolish to rule him out entirely.
Fellow handicap debutant Queen Of Paris could spring a shock and another course victor Pivotal Flame may have enough in the tank to trouble the main protagonists but Galitello looks to have a touch of class and he wouldn’t need to be overly special to claim a race like this.
GALITELLO (WIN)
Newbury:
13:10 – Amanto (E/W)
13:40 – Harambe (WIN)
14:15 – Le Precieux (WIN)
14:50 – Horatio Hornblower (WIN)
15:20 – Sunrise Ruby (WIN)
15:50 – Alph (WIN) NAP
Lingfield:
13:20 – Debbonair (WIN)
13:50 – Ydra (WIN)
14:25 – Florencio (E/W)
15:00 – Isaan Queen (WIN)
15:30 – Galitello (WIN) *NB
16:00 – Haraz (E/W)
Plumpton:
13:30 – West Drive (WIN)
14:00 – Very Live (E/W)
14:35 – Ruby Yeats (WIN)
15:10 – Anteros (E/W)
15:40 – Manning Estate (WIN)
16:10 – Generous Jack (WIN)
Kempton:
16:30 – Red Gunner (E/W)
17:00 – Target Zone (WIN)
17:30 – Sun Hat (WIN)
18:00 – Rock Of Estonia (E/W)
18:30 – King Robert (WIN)
19:00 – Exchequer (WIN)
19:30 – Hit The Beat (E/W)
20:00 – Mistress Nellie (E/W)
