Simon Holt best bets and tips for Friday's Newmarket meeting
Spirit Of Appin features among Simon Holt's two selections for day two of the bet365 Cambridgshire meeting at Newmarket.
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Short-priced favourites could well dominate at Newmarket on Friday when, in particular, Daahyeh and King Of Comedy look hard to beat in the Rockfel and Joel Stakes respectively.
However, it is unlikely that they will all win and, in the opening Tasleet British EBF Rosemary Stakes, CHALEUR is fancied to relish a return to a mile.
Ralph Beckett's daughter of Dansili, the winner of a nursery over seven furlongs at this meeting last year, had a slightly troubled run before staying on strongly once switched to the outside in a handicap at Goodwood in late July, after a belated seasonal reappearance just over a fortnight earlier.
Surprisingly, given how well she finished off that day, Chaleur was dropped back to seven at York subsequently and kept going all the way to the line albeit touched off by Excellent Times and the re-opposing Agincourt (now 5lb worse off) in a bunch finish.
This is a step up in class but she is the third-highest rated runner (100) and gets 3lb from the likely market leader and top-rated Maqsad (107), who drops in grade after failing to stay in the Oaks before finishing eighth of nine in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
Like Chaleur, Maqsad handles this course well and, a smooth traveller, could be hard to beat especially if reproducing her smooth success in the Pretty Polly Stakes here (10f) in early May.
A similar situation presents itself in the Princess Royal Muhaarar Stakes in which the potentially smart Promissory is set to start a short-priced favourite but has little in hand over SPIRIT OF APPIN.
Promissory's second to the subsequent St Leger runner-up Sir Ron Priestley on just her third start at Goodwood last month was certainly an excellent effort but the sizeable Spirit Of Appin is also on the improve having gone up 12lb since winning on the same course back in May.
Brian Meehan's filly ran a career-best in the Galtres Stakes at York on her latest start, battling on heartily before succumbing to Search For A Song and the promising Vivionn (with over three lengths back to the third) and the winner has since taken the Irish St Leger.
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