Fine Form
Following a profitable July Festival at Newmarket last week, Charlie Appleby can strike gold with
Nabati NB – 4.10
in the Apple Print & Creative Rose Bowl at Newbury.
Many had questioned the form of the Moulton Paddocks team in the first half of the season and he had been particularly quiet with his two-year-olds, but the juvenile victories of Al Hudaiba, Acting Lady and Inner City Blues on the July course suggest usual service is being resumed.
Night Of Thunder colt Nabati, who was an 850,000 yearling purchase, had presumably been showing up well on the Newmarket gallops prior to his racecourse debut at Yarmouth two weeks ago as he was a long odds-on favourite come the off.
His supporters will have had few concerns as he saw off three rivals with the minimum of fuss and last week Appleby raised the Gimcrack Stakes at York in August as a potential target.
Nabati first takes the intermediate step into Listed company and is expected to double up and book his ticket to the Knavesmire.
Appleby saddles an interesting newcomer in the opening Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish EBF Novice Stakes in the form of Force Of Light, but it may pay to stick with the proven form of the Brian Meehan-trained
Cilician NB – 3.00
A close second on his Nottingham introduction, the son of Blackbeard was then thrown in at the deep end in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, just as his stablemate Rashabar was two years ago.
But while Rashabar belied odds of 80-1 to break his duck at Group Two level, Cilician came up short, albeit beaten only five lengths in 11th place.
The experience clearly did him no harm as he was then a clear second to Karl Burke’s previous winner Collateral Damage at Sandown, earning him a rating of 90.
If he can run up to that figure in Berkshire, one of the newcomers will have to be very smart to beat him.
Following Group One success in France earlier in the week, William Haggas and Tom Marquand can combine to land the BetVictor Handicap with
Luminare NB – 4.45
The three-year-old has made steady progress since leaving Ollie Sangster and joining Haggas, with a December win at Newcastle followed by some solid placed efforts since the turn of the year.
She caught the eye making late headway into second place after missing the break here last month and running off the same mark of 73, she has every chance of going one better if she can jump off on terms.
Appleby is also likely to be among the winners at Newmarket, with his
Cerro Blanco NM – 5.48
difficult to oppose in the Racing Welfare Novice Stakes.
The Wootton Bassett colt looked really smart on his Rowley Mile debut in the spring and there was not much wrong with his performance in filling the runner-up spot behind the classy Saber Strike on his return to the track for the King Charles II Stakes at the Guineas meeting.
Appleby has given his charge time to develop and strengthen and it will be disappointing if he is unable to make the most of what looks a gilt edged opportunity back in novice company under a penalty.
Celestial Cen NO – 2.22
can make it third time lucky for Archie Watson in the British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes at Nottingham, while
Nicely HM – 6.05
stands out in the Jordan Electrics EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes at Hamilton as the only runner on the card for trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy.
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