Fries And Coke To Go
1. SCALE EXPECTATION catrealm 9/2
(Southern Halo x Banquet Table x Raja Baba)
Trainer catrealm doesn’t believe in going to the well too often with this 8yo. Sparely campaigned throughout his career he very rarely gets more than 4 runs a season. His last win was over 2 years ago in a restricted allowance race and if anything it looks like age is catching up with him as his speed figures are marginally dropping over time. I would be surprised if he still had it in him to pick up his first stakes win.
2. FRIES AND COKE sksutton 3/2
(Silver Deputy x Fairy King x Ascot Knight)
3-time Graded winner who has been campaigned mainly over a mile, however in his rare ventures over this distance he hasn’t been disgraced and I don’t think it will be the distance that will defeat him should he get beaten. It’s been some 10 months since he last scored at stakes level and his recent running in allowance races must give his connections some cause for concern as although running well he hasn’t managed to get his nose in front where it matters. Maybe he just needs a longer trip as he gets older, Saturday will provide the answer.
3. GRINDFLY’S NESSY kribensis 5/1
(Grindstone x Hennessy x Pine Bluff)
The only produce so far of broodmare Bluffy’s Nessy, which is surprising considering she’s thrown a stakes winner at her first attempt. This guy was a stakes-winning juvenile but doesn’t seem to have moved forward since those early days. He can still mix it in allowance class but when moved up to stakes class he seems to get found out. He needs to step up on recent performances to take this.
4. PJ FULLY PAID cooldude 8/1
(Red Ransom x Sadler’s Wells x Val De L’Orne)
My own entry. I purchased this guy at auction, can’t remember for how much but he wasn’t cheap! He was raced solely on the turf by previous connections and based on his pedigree you can see why. However, following a lengthy lay-off due to injury he returned a couple of weeks ago for his first run of the new year and his first run on dirt and proceeded to comfortably win a restricted allowance race by 2 lengths. This is certainly a step-up for him but hopefully he’ll take it in his stride.
5. FLOATING(IRE) bilmill 5/1
(Black Tie Affair x Danzig x Fappiano)
A former G2 winner who won the first 6 of 7 starts. From that beginning trainer bilmill must have thought he had the next big star but somewhere along the way the horse lost his form. His wins since have been infrequent but he has been running with credit. The trip on Saturday should suit judged on his last few runs and if he can turn the clock back to his 3yo days, he’s not without a chance.
6. LEEWARD fastnfirm 9/1
(Robellino x Alnaab x Northern Dancer)
A prolific scorer with a better than 33% strike rate, this guy will be contesting his first stakes race here. The distance of 9 furlongs is sure to test his stamina and with doubts surrounding both that and his class I feel that this race will prove beyond him. One to take note of if dropped back to a mile.
7. HUNTER GREEN hunter22 6/1
(Green Desert x Eastern Echo x Danzig)
Multiple stakes-winning mare who has done connections proud over the years. The mileage on the clock is starting to tell now as she is struggling to keep up with her own sex in stakes events so it’s certainly no easy task for her against the boys. I would be pleasantly surprised if she were to manage a win on Saturday, but whatever her fate she will be a prized addition to the trainer’s broodmare band on her retirement.
There seem to be doubts concerning nearly every runner in the race based on recent form, class and distance. Multiple graded winners are difficult to ignore in a race such as this so I’ll go with the following prediction.
- Fries and Coke
- PJ Fully Paid
- Floating