This week is belting for UK horse racing, and we’re kicking off proceedings with my Newmarket Craven Meeting Day 1 tips.
With Newmarket on Tuesday, Cheltenham and the Rowley Mile on Wednesday, more Prestbury Park action on Thursday, and some brilliant all-weather action to finish the week, the next few days are set to be pretty fun. Hopefully, anyway.
Let’s dive in.
Newmarket Craven Meeting Day 1 Tips
1:50 Newmarket – Aramram @ 6/1 with William Hill (4 places) – 1pt EW
The opening handicap is competitive, but Aramram does look slightly overpriced on the best of his form.
He’s a nice, progressive colt by Blue Point who has started the year well with two seconds at Kempton and Southwell respectively.
His first run at Kempton saw him nearly catch a runaway winner, and the second race at Southwell saw him get collared on the line by the useful Ferrous.
A well-handicapped Diligent Harry finished third that day with the likes of Purosangue, Strike Red, Wiltshire, and Korker behind. It was a good Class 2 handicap at Southwell.
Joe Leavy returns to the saddle to claim a valuable 3lbs off his back, and he’s ground versatile. He won at Doncaster on soft in September, though he also finished second in the Ayr Silver Cup on good to firm later that month.
His run in the Ayr Silver Cup was a huge performance. Why? Well, Alfa Kellenic switched to the correct side of the track to win, though Aramram stayed on the near side.
This progressive four-year-old gets the vote here.
3:35 Newmarket – Arabian Dusk @ 10/3 with William Hill – 1pt Win
All the form and a small bit of pedigree knowledge suggests that Arabian Dusk could be the one in the Group 3 Nell Dwyn Stakes.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise that Verse Of Love and Nardra could be anything with their one win each, but I like the experience that Simon & Ed Crisford’s three-year-old has under the belt.
She was third in the Listed Empress Fillies Stakes to Celandine (subsequent Group 2 winner) and Tales Of The Heart before winning the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course.
On her final start of the season in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes, she finished third to Lake Victoria (Breeders’ Cup winner subsequently) and Daylight (Group 2 runner-up subsequently).
She looked quite useful in the Cheveley Park as she travelled with plenty of zest, yet she just didn’t quite have the turn of foot to keep her two rivals at bay.
She’s out of a 1m2f winner who also was successful on good to soft, and two of her best siblings raced nicely on softer ground. If the rain has gotten into the ground, which it should have, this will stand her in good stead.
