Thursday Racing Tips: Mark Milligan with a trio to back at Newmarket and Pontefract

• Ballydoyle improver can cope with rise in class

• Baltic can catch his rivals cold

• Sir Mark Prescott filly can carry on winning spree

15:55 Newmarket - Back Fighter

7 (1)

Fighter (Ire)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

Newmarket's three-day Cambridgeshire meeting gets underway on Thursday and there are some interesting races for us to get stuck into, starting with the 2m Listed Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes.

Al Nayyir sets a pretty tall standard for these to aim at having finished a good second to Vauban in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York last time, his first start for the Tom Clover stable having previously been trained in the UAE and then France.

A repeat of that will obviously make him tough to beat, but he is rather exposed now and I'm siding with a younger rival who hasn't fully shown his hand yet.

Fighter is trained by Aidan O'Brien and has been very progressive on his last two starts, particularly when stepping up tom 1m 5f in handicap company at Leopardstown last time.

He did receive a good ride from his 5lb claimer that day but was full value for an impressive win nonetheless, taking a competitive handicap apart from a mark of 91.

This obviously demands more, but such is Fighter's rate of progression that he could well be up to the task, and he shapes as if having the ability to stay further still.

16:30 Newmarket - Back Baltic

1 (5)

Baltic

• J: James Doyle
• T: Harry Charlton
• F:

The following 1m4f handicap features another really progressive type in the shape of Harry Charlton's Baltic, and he looks sure to make a bold bid to land the six-timer despite carrying top weight.

He started his winning spree in 0-70 company at Pontefract almost exactly a year ago and has done nothing but improve since, taking further handicaps at Doncaster, Yarmouth and twice at Newcastle on his last two starts.

The handicapper is clearly finding it hard to pin down this son of Frankel, who started off life rated just 60 but has now risen to the lofty perch of 82.

I'm not convinced that's yet his ceiling though, his pedigree suggesting he can go on to be rated even higher than that.

I'm also not concerned that he has to give weight away all around, as he's big, well-made sort who should be well up to carrying his welter burden.

Baltic is part-owned by Luca Cumani's Fittocks Stud and you can certainly see the Cumani influence in the way this horse has been campaigned, bearing all the hallmarks of the kind of improving handicapper the former trainer used to excel with.

I'm hopeful Baltic can stay a step ahead of the assessor for a while yet.

15:10 Pontefract - Back Overture

8 (9)

Overture

• J: Luke Morris
• T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt
• F:

Speaking of well-campaigned handicappers, over at Pontefract earlier in the day we have a Sir Mark Prescott improver who herself has racked up a sequence of wins.

In true Baronet fashion, Overture had several quiet runs over a mile or less to starts her career but has really blossomed since being sent over 1m 2f+ and brought up the four-timer with a win at Yarmouth last time.

Although she only won by a neck, the daughter of New Approach was value for much more after Luke Morris had taken things rather easily in the final furlong, needing to shake her up again late on to make sure the duo weren't caught out by the runner-up's late surge.

The selection has to carry a penalty for that win which came juts last week, but she bears all the hallmarks of one who may not have hit her limit just yet and she'll have no trouble dropping back slightly in trip after her last two wins came over further.

Charlie Johnston's Loyal Touch looked a bit unlucky not to finish closer in a messy race last time and may emerge as the biggest threat, while Hosanna Power is also respected.

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