Bletchley to crack Carlisle code
Bletchley can claim a valuable Listed success in the ebfstallions.com "Eternal" Stakes today, one of the feature events on the biggest day of the year at Carlisle.
Ralph Beckett’s three-year-old boasted some good bits of form as a juvenile, particularly when beaten just a short head by subsequent Group 1 winner Brave Anna in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.
While Bletchley thoroughly disappointed when favourite for an Ayr Group 3 on her only subsequent start, the Makfi filly showed that was only a minor aberration as she bounced back to winning form on her return this year.
She was getting a fair bit of weight from five-year-old Grade 1 winner Same Jurisdiction at Leicester at the beginning of June, but Bletchley nevertheless stretched away in fine style and that result puts her upwards of 1kg to the good with all of her rivals here.
The application of a hood clearly helped that day and with the headgear still in place, Bletchley should hit the mark again before her sights are raised once more.
The Carlisle Bell was first contested in 1599 and the Worlds His Oyster can become the latest horse to add his name to the incredibly lengthy roll of honour.
John Quinn’s charge may not be the most obvious choice with just three wins in 19 starts so far, but he has dropped down the ratings a bit in recent weeks and is now back on the 82 he won off at Newcastle in February.
There is a suspicion he might be better on the all-weather, but the waiting tactics employed to try to help him see out 2000m of late do not appear to have been in his favour since.
Switching down to 1600m is a definite plus.
Panko still appears to be relatively unexposed over the 2400m distance of the totepool Cumberland Plate.
Ed de Giles only recently switched Panko up from a 2000m and he made a good fist of it when second to Opposition at York this month.
He was shouldering a 2kg rise for winning over just short of 2400m, but Panko still stuck on with plenty of credit and could be yet to show his best over this kind of distance.
Seafarer caught the eye on his return to action and should take a hand in the finish of the Whitsbury Manor Stud Bibury Cup Handicap at Salisbury.
Winner of one of his three juvenile starts, Marcus Tregoning’s runner made his 2017 bow at Yarmouth earlier in the month and after a slow start, he was eventually beaten just a head at the line.
The gelding was returning from nearly 300 days off the track after suffering with a fibrillating heart on his previous start, so plenty of progress would surely have been expected.
He did not enjoy a clear passage, either, but did show a distinct turn of pace and while he was getting chunks of weight from the winner, Seafarer rates as a smart prospect - particularly as he has been raised just 1kg for his return effort.
Running Cloud looks a great prospect for Eve Johnson Houghton and can continue on an upward curve in the New Forest Farm Machinery/John Deere Auction Stakes.
A four-length winner at Wolverhampton on his debut, he defied his obvious inexperience in the preliminaries to win with the minimum of fuss and he can concede weight all round here.