Newmarket Tips: Appleby's 19/1 double looking to add to his 50% strike rate

The flat season is well and truly underway, and one trainer in particular has clearly been working hard behind the scenes.

That man is Charlie Appleby, who has produced nine winners in the past two weeks. Digging a little deeper, looking at the last 30 days, he's had 10 winners, nine seconds and two thirds. He's very much a man in form at present.

Which brings our attention to racing at Newmarket this Saturday, where Appleby sends five runners.
This season, he's already sent five horses to Saturday's venue, returning 1-6-1-2-1 - another reason which suggests the trainer could be ready to add more winners to his name.

With this in mind, I'm focusing on two of his five runners which have proven to be particularly strong in the market, where there's a potential 20.019/1 double on the cards.

Melody on song

Bright Melody is currently joint favourite in the 13:50 Betfair Suffolk Stakes at 4.03/1, sharing that position in the market with Andrew Balding's Bell Rock.

Although Balding's five-year-old has previously won at the course, he hasn't been seen on a track in 196 days, whilst Bright Melody has run twice already this year, with a second and first to his name over at Meydan.

William Buick will be on board Bright Melody, who have both linked up on three occasions. He's yet to get him over the line in first place as of yet, but all three rides have been over 1m2f, and the drop back to 1m1f clearly did the trick at Meydan last time out.

If Buick makes sure Bright Melody is up with the pace, like James Doyle did in the UAE, there's every chance he can make it back to back victories for the first time.

Lazuli can land quickfire double

Appleby's other main runner on Saturday is Lazuli, the current 4.03/1 favourite to win the 14:25 Betfair Palace House Stakes.

The four-year-old, last seen in January, has four wins to his name already, including a Listed race at Sandown, as well as a debut win over Saturday's course back in August 2019.

Lazuli finished second when last seen at Newmarket back in June last year over six furlongs, fading in the final furlong and the drop back to five has seen him flourish ever since.

Hollie Doyle rides Came From The Dark, Lazuli's market rival, who won last time out at Newbury, having recently had a wind op and gelded. If on song, Ed Walker's five-year-old could give Lazuli something to think about.

Unlike Bright Melody in the previous race, William Buick has a strong relationship with Lazuli, having ridden him on all his track runs to date.

With the jockey in fine form himself, with eleven wins and eleven seconds to his name in the last 30 days, it's easy to see why Lazuli is continuing to be supported as the races edges ever closer.

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