Nigwa to excel with her new trip at Nottingham
Back Nigwa @ 2.47/5 in the 14:30 at Nottingham
A couple of placed runners yesterday with Sea Gifted finishing second and Maghlaak collecting third. Both came out looking good prospects and I suspect the horse that beat Sea Gifted is well above average. The placed double paid around 7/2, so I am slightly kicking myself for playing win only.
On with Thursday's action and another Novice Stakes appeals to have a punt with and that's Ed Bethell's 3yo filly Nigwa.
She's the first filly out of Nell Gwyn winner Daban and ran very well on her debut at Nottingham last month behind a previous Godolphin winner for John Gosden.
It was almost a blueprint run from a Sea The Stars filly - running over perhaps shorter than ideal at 1m and staying on with purpose after an awkward start.
She was on the inside of the quartet and didn't travel nearly as well as the winner, who looked to have a bit too much pace, but once she switched on the outside, she finished with a flourish. So much so her final sectional run at a finishing speed quicker than the winner at 105%, also clocked a 12.70 sectional at the end, compared to Thundershower's 13.11.
Her price of 12.97 in a field of four reflected that not too much was expected, and having hit 1.4640/85 in the run, we'll see her at a more suitable trip today of 1m2f.
Sea The Stars as you probably are all aware of from this column, is by far my favourite sire, and his record as a sire of winners at Nottingham stands at 19%, with a placed record of 48%.
Meredif to enjoy a return to Colwick Park
Back Meredif @ 4.84/1 in the 16:00 at Nottingham
Trainer Owen Burrows has only had 11 winners this term, but that's a figure from a small amount of runners and a seasonal strike-rate of 29% is good going.
His 3yo filly Meredif is in a weak-looking 6f handicap to close the Nottingham card at 16:00, and a return to Colwick Park and better ground will suit her.
She won the "Slip Anchor" Maiden at the track last September by a comfortable 2L, finally translating some of her her homework as she had been previously backed in races. The times suggested the ground was on the easier side of good, and similar conditions await.
Her comeback run this year was in 0-95 company at York, a far hotter race than today's and she wasn't disgraced there over the far side, although she ran poorly last time out at Haydock over 5f, but I am putting that down to the testing ground rather than any attitude problems, as she was never going a yard.
Meredif's two best runs have both been at Nottingham, and she looks ready to go up to 6f today in a race that looks moderate to say the least.
Burrows remains in hot form over the last month with 5-12 at 41%.
July winners:
Politesse 5/2 Won
Lawful Command 12/1 Placed
New London 2/1 Won
Royal Scotsman 11/8 Won
Supreme King 6/1 Placed
Sanitiser 11/2 Placed
Torquator Tasso 10/1 Placed
Erosandpsyche 5/2 Won
Helpmeout 15/2 Win and Placed
Wade's Magic 13/2 Placed
Treasure Trove 9/2 Placed R4
Larry Looby 7/4 Won
Johnson's Blue 9/2 Won
Bayou Belle 9/2 Placed
Royal Aclaim 3/1 Won
New London 5/2 Won
Emily Dickinson 12/1 Placed
The Charmer 13/2 Won
Sea On Time 11/10 Won