JACOBS’ Crackers
Five-time Naps Table champ Moorestyle’s best bets…
SUNDAY SERVICE WINNER of yet another Epsom Derby last weekend, Aidan O’Brien (below) can keep the ball rolling today in slightly calmer waters when he sends out the beautifully bred BATTLE OF JERICHO (2.10) in the opener at the Curragh.
His sire is the brilliant American stallion War Front, while his dam is 1,000 Guineas runner-up in 2011 Together, whose sire is the mighty Galileo, so it simply doesn’t get better than this.
There’s a really competitive card at beautiful Goodwood and with a bit of dig in the ground ESSENAITCH (2.30) could prove the answer to the mile-and-a-half handicap.
He looked a shade unlucky at Windsor last week before staying on strongly in the closing stages to secure third spot and a mark of 71 is very fair.
Later on FREDRICKA (3.05) looks the answer to a tricky looking eight runner sprint, while PARIS PROTOCOL (3.40) has solid claims under top weight.
The last named was only denied in a finish of bobbing heads at Haydock Park last time out and this looks an easier task.
Over at Nottingham the ground will be quite testing and that looks perfect for bottom weight INCUS (2.20) in what looks to be an uncompetitive race.
The selection ran away with a Doncaster handicap last time out and should have the legs of his four exposed rivals from a 6lb higher mark. THE WEEK AHEAD I have been waiting for CLAYTON HALL to drop to a more suitable mark over a mile and a half and he could be hugely competitive at Hamilton on Wednesday at 6.55 with Moon Over Rio perhaps his biggest danger. HOT TO TROT Plenty of pundits have knocked the Epsom Derby form. But there was no fluke about the victory of 40-1 shot WINGS OF EAGLES. He will be even better suited to the stiffer Curragh track in the Irish Derby and if connections are bold enough he would be a natural for the Doncaster St Leger.
ANTE-POST I will tell you about my Royal Ascot thoughts next week but the next big ante-post race post-Ascot is the Northumberland Plate on July 1 and NATURAL SCENERY looks perfect.
A winner at the track in February, he did not get the run of the race at Lingfield in the A/W Championships last time out and the 20-1 with bet365 looks value.