DOUBLE HANDFUL

John Shaw’s racing betting column in association with

EIGHT runners are declared in an intriguing renewal of the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury y this afternoon. This Group Two for two-year-olds regularly y throws up some top-quality beasts including the likes of Ribchester and Harry Angel in recent years.

The ‘story’ horse in this race is undoubtedly

Andrew Balding’s

FIVETHOUSANDTOONE.

Balding has yet to win the race named after the brilliant 1971 Derby and Arc winner trained by his father Ian. Every son tries to follow in his father’s footsteps. I remember my dad buying my first jigsaw when I was just five — I think he even plugged it in for me.

The intriguing element to this race is that given a different weather forecast Fivethousandtoone wouldn’t even be my selection to finish in the first two.

Bahrain Pride from the Crisford yard has won his first two races and beat Fivethousandtoone on debut.

Richard Fahey’s Rhythm Master is another classy colt who won on debut at Haydock a and followed that up with a creditable third in a Group One at De Deauville – a race that c contained three Royal Ascot winners.

The only reason why I’m not going to be backing Rhythm Master or Bahrain P Pride is because of the go going. Both horses need juic juice in the ground to perfor perform at their best.

In fact, Rhythm Master’s jockey PJ McDonald said on Wednesday it was 50-50 whether the horse would run.

Bahrain Pride is another who prefers softer going, His two runs to date have both been on soft ground.

He did beat Fivethousandtoone on debut but Balding’s charge ran a bit green, as he’s entitled to do on his first run, and lost ground at the start. It’s worth noting he was the 5-6 favourite that day so clearly he was rated above Bahrain Pride before that race.

Here’s hoping a Fivethousandtoone shot wins the Mill Reef!