TURN TO THE DARK SIDE
Hollie’s mount can light up the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket
CAME FROM THE DARK is fancied to net compensation for a narrow defeat 12 months ago by landing the Group 3 Palace House Stakes (3.00) at Newmarket this afternoon.
The Ed Walker-saddled grey was making his first appearance in Group company when contesting this race in 2021.
And Came From The Dark, successful in a Newbury handicap under Hollie Doyle on his previous outing, so nearly hit the ground running at Pattern level.
Came From The Dark could be spotted travelling with ease soon after the halfway point of the five-furlong contest, but momentarily found his path blocked when bidding to make his challenge inside the final furlong.
Despite coming home with gusto once in the clear, my selection still had a neck to find on Lazuli as the pair hit the line.
Came From The Dark made amends with a neck call from Arecibo in the Group 3 Coral Charge at Sandown Park in July.
Injury intervened to curtail the son of Dark Angel’s season, but Walker reports the six-year-old ready for action after 301 days off games, and Came
From The Dark can make a winning return.
The My Odds Boost On Betfair Handicap (1.50) looks typically competitive, but the consistent JUMBY looks sure to give a good account of himself.
The son of New Bay made great strides under the guiding hand of Eve Johnson Houghton last term, numbering two scores at the Rowley Mile track among his three victories during the campaign. Jumby made his return to the fray over this course and distance in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes at last month’s Craven fixture, and performed with credit in finishing third to Double Or Bubble.
William Buick’s partner returns to the handicap sphere and a British Horseracing Authority mark of 106 looks within range for a colt who still has more to offer.
It’s hard to get away from FAST
MEDICINE in the Suffolk Handicap (2.25).
On the back of a gelding operation, and fitted with a hood, the Peter Chapple-hyam trainee blitzed to a six-length supremacy at Nottingham on his seasonal comeback two weeks ago.
The assessor has put Fast Medicine up from a rating of 79 to 90, so it doesn’t take Archimedes to work out that a 5lb penalty leaves him well treated here.
The ITV cameras are also rolling at Thirsk, where CRUYFF TURN takes the eye in the Fitzdares Thirsk Hunt Cup (2.05).
No fewer than four handicaps went his way in 2021, including a head margin in a valuable one-mile contest at York’s Ebor Festival in August.
Cruyff Turn ran as if needing his first run back when sixth of nine at Haydock Park last Saturday but he’s expected to be at concert pitch here.
At Goodwood, ZANBAQ is the horse with untapped potential in the Listed William Hill Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes (2.40).
The well-related daughter of Oasis Dream overcame palpable greenness to make a winning start at Kempton Park in November – and looks well up to coping with this rise in class.