9:58am Monday 8th March 2010
It was hard not to have been impressed by Merrqaad’s debut third at Kempton and he can get off the mark in the lingfieldpark.
co.uk Maiden Stakes.
A handsome chestnut by Haafhd, Marcus Tregoning’s youngster really took the eye in the preliminaries on his racecourse introduction, and certainly looks to have the ability to match.
Given an educational ride by Martin Dwyer, he was not knocked around once his chance of winning had gone, but he still galloped all the way to the line to pass the post three lengths behind the winner.
That experience will not have been lost on Merrqaad and, with normal improvement, he looks well up to winning a race at this level.
Jeremy Noseda’s Beyond won with any amount in hand on his latest visit to the track and could prove well treated in the At The Races Handicap.
The three-year-old was slowly away on his Wolverhampton debut but stayed on well in the closing stages to take third, ensuring he was sent off at oddson for his next start.
Those who took the prohibitive odds never had a moment of worry as he showed a smart change of gear to put the race to bed within a matter of strides.
Perhaps significantly, he was value for more than the official winning distance of two lengths.
Given he has looked far from the finished article, an initial rating of 71 could be lenient - with this step up to a mile and a half unlikely to halt his progress.
Exceed Power deserved her recent victory at Wolverhampton and could well follow up in the Furlongs & Fairways Handicap.
Three placed efforts on the bounce suggested her turn was not far away and she picked up from the rear to win a shade cosily at Dunstall Park last time.
A 6lb rise in the weights makes life tougher, but if she gets the early pace that suits she could well up to the task.
Rebecca Curtis is a trainer making a name for herself and her Black Jack Blues can continue his progress over timber in the Barry Waters Catering Novices’ Hurdle at Ffos Las.
The seven-year-old won two of his three starts in bumpers and showed enough on his first few appearances over obstacles to suggest there were races to be won with him.
He duly got off the mark when barely coming off the bridle at Ludlow last month and the form looks solid enough, with the fourth home Hidden Keel having gone on to subsequent success.
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