7th July 2012
Haydock Betting: The filly Quiz Mistress can show the boys the way home in Old Newton Cup
3.25 Haydock: Bet365 Old Newton Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) (1m3f200yds)
Haydock passed the morning inspection for their big Saturday meeting and the going is Heavy, expect plenty of non runners but hopefully the feature race The Old Newton Cup will not be affected too much. Two have withdrawn leaving a field of 15 as we speak which is a blow to each way punters and the warm favourite is Lexi’s Boy at 11/4 with the sponsors Bet365.
Trainer Donald McCain is making a habit of scooping these staying handicaps this season, Ile De Re has won both the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate and this horse Lexi’s Boy won the Cumberland Plate at Carlisle last time out with plenty in hand and has been raised 10lbs for that which is fair enough.
I was at Sandown the day he won a handicap hurdle when the ground was very deep so should cope with the conditions ok and Chris Catlin takes the ride for the first time today. His price is a bit skinny but bookies are taking no chances with horses from this yard and he should be involved in the finish. Main danger looks to be Franciscan from the Luca Cumani yard; he seems to have all the credentials of a typical progressive sort who would have been laid out for this by the astute trainer. He has Kieren Fallon on top to do the steering and is owned by Dr. Marwan Koukash who purchased the 4yo in the spring with this race in mind I would suspect. Its all about the ground for him, his last two victories have com eon good to firm so this will be very different. The owner also has Kiama Bay in the line up, very consistent last season in all types of ground and was a fair 6th to Ile De Re last time out in the Chester Cup, this is more his trip and wouldn’t rule him out now that his mark is more favourable.
We have a couple of horses who are in cracking form leading up to this race, both Easy Terms and Number Theory are chasing hat-tricks after recent victories. Easy Terms won on heavy ground at Pontefract in May and she followed up at York in a better race. Number Theory’s wins were both over course and distance and seems to act any ground, he’s now 15lbs higher than he started the season so wont find this easy to defy the latest hike in the weights.
Jim Goldie runs Hillview Boy who has been running over all sorts of trips this season and was a fair third to Navajo Chief at York last time over 9f. Last season he managed one start and that was in the Ebor over 14f and is now 5lbs lower and you get the impression he has a big run in his locker, Graham Lee rides who actually rode Lexi’s Boy last time out.
The only filly in the race is Quiz Mistress trained by Hughie Morrison, she likes cut in the ground and stays well and won last time out at Salisbury very comfortably, she definitely seems to have improved this term and races off a mark of 90 which is a career high and if you go back far enough in the form book she actually has the beating of the favourite on an earlier meeting.
As competitive as ever The Old Newton Cup has the usual suspects lining up, a McCain improving stayer, a Cumani progressive sort and a few exposed types to make up the handicap. I think Lexi’s Boy is too short and I’m not sure about the ground for Franciscan but both are respected. For a bit of value I’m siding with the filly Quiz Mistress and Hillview Boy from the Jim Goldie yard to give Graham Lee another good ride in a big handicap.
Selections:
1pt EW Quiz Mistress 11/1 BetVictor
1pt EW Hillview Boy 12/1 William Hill
- Register at BetVictor
Author: Ray Singpost
