4.35pm Newbury tips for Friday’s Class 3 race. A competitive sprint handicap on soft ground, fourteen runners going to post. Read on for our free betting tips, predictions and analysis.
IN SUMMARY: HUNTSMAN CLOSE has been knocking on the door this season, a pair of places of late from similar marks suggest that he is going to be right in the mix once more at a solid price. Dark Magic drops back in trip on his handicap debut but he looks on a workable mark judged on the recent exploits of the runner-up form his maiden win. Dalton comes from a soft ground family. He is easily excused his last run when returning lame, he can fill out the frame.
1 PETTOCHSIDE – Despite now being eight, he has improved out of all recognition this season. Soft ground suits perfectly but despite the career best form, he needs more again if he is defy a mark in the nineties, the first time he has ever been this high.
2 GIN IN THE INN – Comfortable winner the first twice this season, he has struggled a little since. Placed from this mark on soft in July, but ideally he needs better ground than this to be seen at his best.
3 CLEAR SPRING – A winner of two of his three starts here from higher marks. He has slowed down a little this season, reaching a winnable mark last time out at Salisbury. Deep ground suits but that win came at Class 4 level, so needs more like his old form to win this.
4 BARON BOLT – A neck behind Pettochside twelve days ago, he is six pounds better off for that beating. His best form has come on undulating tracks so perhaps this course won’t be ideal, but has an each way chance at the weights.
5 SMOKEY LANE – Enjoys cut underfoot, he went well in a small field at Leicester two starts back. He is two pounds below that mark here, the mark he last won off. That win was also at Leicester so perhaps he would fit better there, but has an each way chance.
6 HUNTSMAN CLOSE – Broke his duck on heavy ground so although his other wins have come on quicker ground, he should handle this slower surface fine. He has been placed from similar marks already this season so boasts another strong each way chance.
7 REPTON – Soft ground suits, showing his strongest form for some time in a conditions race when last seen. That was a small field over seven furlongs so it probably doesn’t reflect massively to his chance here, but a squeak if genuinely back to form.
8 FINELCITY – Massively improved on the Polytrack of late, with his two best runs on turf both coming on soft ground. Front runner, this is his first time over a sprint trip, has a little to prove with all wins over further.
9 DALTON – Only had four starts, he returned lame on his handicap debut when sent off favourite last time out. Yet to run on worse than good to soft but his sire is a soft ground influence, with half siblings Penitent and Supplicant both soft ground winners. Solid chance.
10 DARK MAGIC – Just twice raced, he broke his duck on soft ground at Newmarket. The runner-up has won off 79 since, so an opening gambit of 81 for a two length beating of that rival looks fair, providing the step down in trip isn’t a negative on handicap debut.
11 MOONRAKER – Rated more than twenty pounds higher two years back, he has slipped more than a stone in 2017 without success. A first time visor is fitted in an attempt to halt his decline with soft ground unlikely to be any help.
12 ALAADEL – Deep ground suits well, he didn’t look to stay seven furlongs last time despite running on late over this trip the time before. A bigger field could be the key over six furlongs with just six races to his credit so far, he’s open to further improvement.
13 STORM CRY – Mark is a workable one on the best of her form but both her wins have come at Class 5 level. She will enjoy the conditions but the suspicion is that she is flying too high at this level.
14 FRANCISCO – Soft ground suits fine, placed twice in three visits to this track. Career low mark now but has plenty to find with Clear Spring on their running at Salisbury earlier in the month.