Murphy’s law can ensure Millisle rules for Harrington

WITH winners at 14/1 and 66/1 in the last two renewals, tomorrow’s Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket (3.35) has become a bit of a head-scratcher.

In fact, more than half the winners since the turn of the century were available at double-figure odds, helping to line the satchels of the bookmakers.

There will be no crowd in attendance at Newmarket due to Covid-19, so no satchels to line – but the layers will be happy to see Quadrilateral beaten in punters’ online accounts, with Roger Charlton’s filly the market leader at 9/4.

A daughter of Frankel, it’s hard to say anything bad about the Fillies’ Mile winner which is now three from three – other than her price is a little skinny in an open race.

It appeared that her goose was cooked in that Fillies’ Mile race and she hit 74/1 in-running, but she battled back to nab it from Powerful Breeze and she almost certainly has more to come.

She should go close, but at the likely prices, Millisle gets the nod, and she should be available around twice the odds of the favourite. Jessica Harrington’s Irish raider beat Raffle Prize here in a very impressive display in the Cheveley Park Stakes when last seen in September, and her manner of victory suggests she’ll get the trip no problem. I hope to see Oisín Murphy (above) get her out into her preferred front-running position and I’m confident the Kerryman’s mount can kick on and get the better of Quadrilateral.

Earlier on the same card, consider Mark Johnston’s Communique, which I’m hoping to get at 7/2 or thereabouts in the Listed Betfair Exchange Buckhounds Stakes (1.50).

Fair enough, he was poor in his latest two races but they were both Group Ones and he was a little out of his depth. He’s got a couple of Group Two victories under his belt from this course, and his last ten races were all at Group level so this is a significant step down in class.

But tomorrow’s best bet comes from Haydock, where Elarqam is available around 11/4 for the Group Three Betway Brigadier Gerard Stakes (2.40).

Another Mark Johnston-trained horse, and also from the aforementioned Frankel, the five-year-old is forgiven for his second-last place in the Irish Champion Stakes in September as it came on the back of a very big run when third to Japan in the Juddmonte International at York, which no doubt took a bit out of him.

He looks the sort to bounce back and is the one to beat on all known form.