Selections for Friday 3rd of May 2024
3.00 Newmarket
1 point each way English Oak (4/1 Skybet, 5 places or else 9/2 Generally, 4 places)
English Oak signed off last season with a good second behind Rohaan at Ascot over six furlongs. He was a slow maturing horse who should improve with age and he could end up closer to a mark of 100 than the 90 he is now on. Trainer Ed Walker has his stable in good form and this horse is more unexposed than the rest in this field. With a summer under his belt the step up to 7 furlongs looks sure to suit and he could end up a talented handicapper throughout this season.
1 point each way Zouky (7/1 Skybet/ William Hill, 5 places)
Zouky is interesting returning to 7 furlongs after making her seasonal reappearance over 1 mile at Kempton. She took the lead going into the final furlong of that Fillies Listed race and just tired over the last 100 yards eventually finishing a close fifth. She won on her first run in a handicap over 7 furlongs. That was off a mark of 82 and she followed that up with a good second at Doncaster off a mark of 87. She is only 2 lbs worse off with Dark Thirty who finished third on that occasion. She has a better draw here in stall 2 and she looks a bit of each way value.
4.15 Punchestown
1 point each way Perceval Legallois (11/4 Generally, 5 places)
Perceval Legallois has been on the radar for some time and has every chance of getting his nose in front today. The one negative with him is his jumping and with a clear round he is effectively a winner without a penalty. The handicapper only raised him 2 lbs when he fell at the last at Leopardstown when challenging the eventual winner Heartwood. The pair would have been 14 lengths clear of the third and Heartwood is now rated 14 lbs higher. Gavin Cromwell couldn’t have his horses in better form at the moment and this better ground may help his jumping. He is receiving 12 lbs from the favourite and bar an accident he should win this.
5.25 and 7.05 Punchestown
1 point each way double Lifetime Ambition & Lark In The Mornin (14/1 Paddy power/ Betfair)
I had these as two singles last night but they have shortened in the market and we’ll do an each way double instead. Lifetime Ambition likes Punchestown and has run two solid races at the festival. He jumped well on his track debut for Pat Doyle at Cork, winning a 2m 4f Hunters Chase by 11 lengths. Lark In The Mornin was all the talk leading into Cheltenham for the Boodles Handicap hurdle. He was a real talking horse that was pulled out of two previous races due to soft ground. Yet he made a mockery of that race winning snuggly on ground he supposedly hated. On this preferred ground I can’t see him out of the frame.
**Date & Time of next Selections Saturday 4th of May at 10am..