Saratoga Racing Tips: Well-bred Echo Again to notch debut success

Saratoga 20:52: Echo Again 2pts win at 7/4 or better

We're into the real meat of the Saratoga meeting now and tonight's card is headlined by the Grade 1 Alabama, which sees yet another confrontation between the very smart fillies Nest and Secret Oath.

Secret Oath got the better of Nest in the Kentucky Oaks in May, but her old rival turned the tables in no uncertain terms at this track last time, though it's probably safe to assume that Secret Oath was some way below her best that day.

For what it's worth, I suspect Nest will confirm that form this time around, though it should be much closer and is a real race to savour, albeit not a betting event for me.

There's also Grade 2 action earlier in the card with the Lake Placid Stakes on turf, and that looks a good opportunity for Charlie Appleby's With The Moonlight to record a second Stateside win, although her price is likely to be tight enough.

Newcomer fancied to come out on top

Having tasted success several times earlier in the meet with first-time starters, I'm heading in that direction again in the maiden special weight contest that goes as race 7 on the card.

The couple with experience in here don't exactly set the pulse racing and it would be a surprise to me were one or two of the newcomers not good enough to top what they've already achieved.

Chad Brown's Expected Value has some decent works to his name, though his draw in stall 1 is no bargain for a debutant, and he'll need to break sharply to overcome that.

One or two of the others may need more time so consequently I'm siding with Steve Asmussen's son of Gun Runner Echo Again.

This one has been posting some eye-catching works in the morning, the latest of them when going well with a decent stable companion, and he's certainly bred for the job.

Both his siblings were trained by Asmussen and both were debut winners, while Echo Again himself is very closely related to Asmussen's high-class Pyro.

He's looked good in the mornings and if he translates that ability to the afternoon, he'll take plenty of beating.