2.55pm Newmarket Tips & Betting Preview 07/05/2017

Ten different trainers in the last decade have taken this competitive six-furlong handicap with just the one joint favourite in that time successful, and winners at double figure odds on eight occasions so not the easiest race to solve historically. Those statistics don’t bode well for early favourite Projection (5/1) but there has been plenty of early money for the Roger Charlton four-year-old who ran his best race yet when last seen in action with a head third to Summer Chorus and Futoon on the July course here in Newmarket in a valuable six furlong handicap on faster ground. Held up by George Baker that day (and sent off the 9/4 favourite) he was a little unlucky not to win, and with his trainer in good form courtesy of 32% winners and a level stakes profit of close to six points, he looks the one to be on this afternoon.

The famous blue and white colours of Hamdan Al Maktoum will be on board Gunmetal (8/1) here and he has to have a decent enough chance for trainer Charlie Hills after winning last time out over course and distance by a pretty easy two and three quarter lengths from Normandy Barriere, quickening up when asked in the style of a very useful horse. He has been put up eight pounds by the handicapper which will obviously slow him down, but he was impressive enough on the day and after the race jockey Andrea Atzeni (who keeps the ride) said “Gunmetal enjoyed the ground and quickened up well on it. He’s a likeable horse and should improve”, so his fans have every reason to expect a decent run again this afternoon.

As things stand it looks as if the money is already down for the Tim Easterby trained East Street Revue (12/1) who ran better than expected when a head second to Edward Lewis on his return to action at Beverley after giving lengths away with a swerve at the start. He then had to be switched to get a run before narrowly failing to get up and it just wasn’t his day, but he does clearly have a mind of his own which has to be a concern to punters. His stable are having plenty of runners (59 in the last two weeks) but very few winners (2) which is also a worry, but the horse seems sure to improve for his first race in over six months and should go well.

Trainer Ed Walker will be in Hong Kong on Sunday to supervise Stormy Antarctic but that won’t stop a big run from Captain Colby (11/1) who ran a blinder at Doncaster on his only run this season when a four length second to Tupi in the Listed Cammidge Trophy with plenty of decent sorts trailing in his wake. That was pretty close to a career best for the son o Bernstein who has won four of his thirteen starts and if he improves at all for the race he is another who won’t be far away this afternoon with William Buick keeping the ride and the drop in class both very much in his favour.

Top weight will be shouldered as things stand by David O’Meara’s Intisaab (11/1), a striking son of Elnadim who has been put up an extra three pounds for winning at Ripon when seeing off Muntadab by a neck after being sent to the front two out and holding off all challengers. Shelley Birkett took a useful three pounds off his back that day which made all the difference and with the added weight from the handicapper now he may find shrugging off nine stone ten this afternoon just a little bit too much for him.

Big Time (12/1) rounds off the race preview for trainer Kevin Ryan who has booked Martin Harley to ride the six-year-old for the third time tis afternoon. Last time out they paired up at Lingfield to finish a length second to Kasbah on the all-weather in January over this trip but he invariably races over further which may well see him staying on though beaten horses here, but with a concern that he may not be able to keep tabs on the speedier sorts early in the race.