Newsboy fancies his nap, Ultramarine, to win at Chelmsford and also hopes Monaghan Boy can score at Catterick and complete his Daily Double
16:08, 10 Jan 2024Updated 17:38, 10 Jan 2024
ULTRAMARINE looks ripe for a hat-trick in the Support Racing Welfare Handicap (8.00) at Chelmsford City on Thursday evening. Dave Evans’ son of Zoffany, who has had spells with Joseph O’Brien and John Butler, drew a blank on his first 20 visits to the racecourse. But my selection travels to the Essex Showground tonight having won three of his last four races. Having scored over six furlongs here in November, Ultramarine came home a beaten favourite at Wolverhampton at the start of the following month. But the five-year-old doubled his career tally by a short head from The Caltonian over this evening’s seven-furlong trip at Dunstall Park six days before Christmas. And he went in again with a length-and-three-quarter beating of Bowood in an apprentice handicap at Kempton Park last Saturday. Off the same mark, and due to go up 8lb in the future, Hayley Turner’s mount looks sure to give another good account.
At Catterick, MONAGHAN BOY should appreciate the chance to tackle three miles and a furlong in the Download Raceday Ready Today Novices’ Handicap Chase (1.20). Although well beaten on his debut over the larger obstacles here in November, Micky Hammond’s son of Court Cave stayed on strongly to takes second to Breeze Of Wind in a two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Hexham on his most recent start, and the extra yardage here will aid his bid to go one better. THURSDAY'S SELECTIONS SOUTHWELL 11.20 BRADMAN 11.50 BADOSA 12.20 MISS BODACIOUS 12.55 MERESIDE MADNESS 1.30 KING OF YORK 2.05 HORTZADOR 2.40 REIGNING PROFIT 3.15 SHOW NO FEAR 3.50 SWAFFHAM BULBECK CATTERICK 12.10 BRUCIO 12.45 MINNIEMUM 1.20 MONAGHAN BOY (NB) 1.55 HASTHING 2.30 CRIXUS’S ESCAPE 3.05 SON OF THE SOMME 3.40 PRESENT FAIR CHELMSFORD 5.30 HELLAVAPACE 6.00 NEW YORK BAY 6.30 ROTHAY PARK 7.00 DUE DATE 7.30 UTHER PENDRAGON 8.00 ULTRAMARINE (NAP) 8.30 THE GAY BLADE DOUBLE: ULTRAMARINE and MONAGHAN BOY