Newbury Saturday

3:00 British Stallion Studs EBF Abingdon Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 1m 2f

Although there is a bit of rain around on Friday, the weather looks to be drying with a fair breeze at Newbury, and I doubt it will ride much worse than dead if even that. I believe that will be a problem for favourite Cabaletta, as she benefited from a relative test of stamina to win on her debut at Yarmouth (1m, heavy), and is from a family of stout stayers, her dam in the frame in the Gold Cup and her grand-dam winning the Doncaster Cup.

Her full-brother Jeweller won twice over two miles last autumn, showing improved form, and while she may well be the best of her siblings, it stands to reason that she will need a trip to show her best form.

One who will be ideally suited by this trip on good ground is Oriental Mystique, a daughter of Kingman out of the same connections’ Musidora and British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Madame Chiang. She needed the experience quite badly when an encouraging fourth to Trefoil (third in last week’s Pretty Polly Stakes) on her first appearance at Nottingham, and then was a comfortable winner of a Kempton novice on her only other start.

The runner-up that day was a ready winner of a Chelmsford handicap on Tuesday, and the third was runner-up in the UAE Oaks in the spring. Oriental Mystique is bred to improve markedly at three, and her juvenile form is already working out nicely, so the odds on offer currently look to represent value.

Franconia is probably underrated for finishing second on her debut at Chelmsford, and this half-sister to Nassau winner Winsili could be the fly in the ointment. I’ll have a saver and possibly combine the pair in a forecast.

3:35 Mansionbet’s Beaten By A Head Diomed Stakes (Group 3) 1m

King Of Comedy ought to win this, and he’s clearly the most talented runner in the field, but he’s also the most ungenuine, and I’m rather surprised to find out that he’s not been cut over the winter.

He looked like he would be top class if he could curb his obvious temperament last summer, but he got worse as the year progressed, and looked thoroughly sullen when well beaten in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October.

Gelding is the one thing which would give hope that he might be a reformed character, but he’s hard to trust with connections shying away from that course of action.

I would have given Stormy Antarctic a chance on genuinely soft ground, but while that may still transpire, I’m banking on the ground being good, and under such conditions, Tabarrak is sure to give a good account.

On good or good to soft ground he has a tremendously solid record, his lifetime form figures in these conditions reading 212221121, including a pair of wins over seven furlongs at this track.

He’s arguably better over that trip, but ran up to his best when edged out in the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury in 2017, and won the Listed Paradise Stakes at Ascot at a mile.

He was beaten into fourth by Zaaki in that race last year, but carried a penalty there, and that scenario is reversed, while his tendency to need his first run in the spring should be offset by racing’s enforced holiday which has given him more time to thrive.

4:45 Mansionbet’s Royal Ascot Special Handicap 1m

The potential angle in here is a straightforward one. Enigmatic is best after a break of two months or more, and his career record when fresh is a remarkable 1111. He lost the plot last season after a good start, and has dropped below his last winning mark as a result. He may not bounce back, but all the elements are in place for such an occurrence, and he’s not switched stables as such.

When veteran trainer Alan Bailey retired earlier this year, his grandson Joseph Parr took over, and although he’s only had three runners, those have included a winner and a short-head second. What’s not to like?

Sandown Saturday

4:20 Try Our New ‘Runner Boost’ At Unibet Handicap (Div.I) 1m 6f

It’s very possible that he’s running here as a warm-up to a hurdles outing next month, but given he simply doesn’t jump well enough to capitalise over timber, it would be sensible to campaign Prabeni as a stayer on the flat, and I do hope that Charlie Mann is thinking along those lines.

He was a promising three-year-old for William Haggas, finishing third in the Wood Ditton at Newmarket before proving that stamina was his strong suit, and while he did quite well in juvenile hurdles, he lacks scope and tend to lose ground at his obstacles.

He was last seen finishing second in a jumpers’ bumper at Wolverhampton, splitting horses with much higher ratings, and given that the winner of that race, Birds Of Prey, has since won a flat handicap off a mark of 92, it’s not hard to imagine that he could be well treated off 77. The fact that he’s wearing his customary headgear suggests that this is not simply a pipe-opener.

Doncaster Saturday

2:15 Betway Casino Handicap 7f 6y

Edraak was an impressive winner on his first start for Mick Appleby at Newcastle recently, and that novice event looked a competitive one, which may explain why he was allowed to go off at 16/1.

I feel that the handicapper has erred very much on the side of leniency in giving him a handicap mark of just 83.

If anything, the way the race was run at Newcastle disguised his superiority, and he looks capable of making his mark in pattern company before long.

Recommended

Edraak 2:15 Doncaster – 2pts win @ 3/1

Oriental Mystique 3:00 Newbury – 2pts win @ 11/2 (general)

Tabarrak 3:35 Newbury – 1pt win @ 6/1 (Bet365)

Prabeni 4:20 Sandown – 1pt win @ 11/1 (Hills)

Enigmatic 4:45 Newbury – 1pt e/w @ 18/1 (Hills – 4 places)

Rory currently leads the Racing Post Nap Table and recommeded last week’s winner Makanah at 11/1 (early price)