Horses To Follow: Timeform Eyecatchers
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Kabrit never managed to get his head in front over hurdles despite being placed on several occasions but he has made an excellent start to his chasing career in recent weeks and made it two out of two over fences with his latest success in a handicap at Uttoxeter.
After being dropped out, Kabrit made smooth headway from early in the straight and was produced to lead on the run-in for a cosy length win over Miss Antipova with favourite No Cruise Yet back in third. The manner of Kabrit’s wins should keep him ahead of the handicapper for the time being.
He’d won in similar style in another handicap on his chasing debut at Worcester at the end of last month and was following up at Uttoxeter from a 5 lb higher mark. Kabrit, who has worn a hood in his recent races, usually races off the pace and should continue to give a good account for trainer Alistair Ralph over fences.
Cliffs of Capri was below form on his first couple of starts this season, but he took a big step back in the right direction when seventh in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket’s July Festival, making some good late headway to emerge as the best of his group five and a half lengths behind the winner.
The seven-year-old was dropped slightly in the weights on the back of that effort, meaning he lined up in the International Stakes at Ascot on Saturday from a 2 lb lower mark than when filling the runner-up spot in the 2020 renewal. He was still relatively unfancied in the betting at 20/1, but the way he shaped in finishing fourth, a length and a half behind the winner Danyah, suggests it might only be a matter of time before one of these big handicaps falls his way.
Cliffs of Capri was slowly into stride and raced last of all in the smaller near-side group. He was pushed along entering the final three furlongs and took a while to hit top gear, but the way he picked up once switched over a furlong out was eye-catching to say the least. He was closing on the leaders all the way to the line and appeared to finish with running left, certainly showing enough to suggest he is back in top form.
Cliffs of Capri went on from this race to finish fifth in the Golden Mile last year and that valuable prize at Goodwood next week is likely to be on the agenda once again. The return to a mile will be in his favour on this evidence and there is no doubt he is on a good mark – ante-post odds of around 33/1 for the Golden Mile make plenty of each-way appeal.
Buoyant has now been placed in both his starts for Martyn Meade and should be well up to winning a race sooner or later. He was no match for the odds-on winner Ehraz who simply proved in a different league to his rivals, but while Buoyant was beaten just over four lengths behind the winner, he finished clear of the remainder himself, with Ideal Guest nearly five lengths behind him in third. Buoyant disputed the lead with that rival for much of the way, was ridden two furlongs out before the favourite quickened clear and then kept on.
Buoyant had also shown plenty of ability on his debut under much softer conditions at Windsor earlier in the month when a close third behind Fast Response. He was shuffled back before having to switch entering the final furlong and was unlucky not to have finished closer at the very least. A half-brother to the useful filly Huboor, who won at six and seven furlongs at two, Buoyant won’t always bump into one quite so good as Ehraz, and there’s more to come from him.
The John & Thady Gosden-trained Dukedom was sent off odds on for this maiden after finishing a promising second on his debut over course and distance earlier in the month but after making much of the running he faded in the closing stages to finish a well-held fourth. Victory went instead to the Martyn Meade-trained Zechariah who was having his third start but there was a promising debut in third from the well-bred Roger Charlton colt Thesis.
Sent off the 3/1 second favourite, Thesis travelled well in second and briefly shaped like the potential winner when quickening to the front over a furlong out. While Zechariah took his measure inside the final furlong and pulled clear, Thesis kept on nicely under hands and heels from Richard Kingscote though was pipped on the line for second by fellow newcomer Bullet Force. All in all, it was a pleasing debut from the Juddmonte colt who looks well up to winning a similar event in due course.
Thesis has a fine pedigree, being a Kingman half-brother to his stable’s Fillies’ Mile winner Quadrilateral. That also makes him a full brother to the useful Boardman who completed a hat-trick in seven-furlong handicaps for Tim Easterby earlier this year.
Those with previous experience came to the fore in this maiden, with Point Louise, who had much the best form, not needing to improve to belatedly get off the mark at the eighth attempt. She ultimately passed the post with a length to spare over Aradena, who is yet to show anything better than modest form but could be one to follow with a view to handicaps.
Well held in two previous starts on the all-weather at the backend of 2020, Aradena was fitted with a first-time hood for her turf debut here after eight months on the sidelines. Held up in the early stages, she travelled smoothly and began to make headway entering the final two furlongs. She came wide in the straight and still looked a bit rough around the edges when first asked for her effort, but her strength at the finish was encouraging, sticking to her task well to pull clear of the rest behind the comfortable winner.
Aradena will now have the option of handicaps and is likely to start life in that sphere from a basement mark. Both the way she shaped here and her pedigree (half-sister to the smart stayer Selino) suggest she will be suited by stepping up to at least a mile and a quarter, while easier ground is also likely to play more to her strengths given that she didn't appear to appreciate these lightning-fast conditions late on. She is just the type trainer James Fanshawe excels with and should be winning races at a lowly level sooner rather than later.
The second division of Wolverhampton’s seven-furlong handicap went to the well-backed Camerily Joe who showed improved form on his first start for Michael Appleby and was well on top at the finish. Whilst unable to trouble the winner who had won on his only previous start at Wolverhampton, Tommytwohoots ran well to chase him home, he too returning to a track where he had run well in the past.
Tommytwohoots showed the benefit of his most recent start which had come at Catterick earlier in the month. That had followed a five-month break during which he had been gelded. Always prominent at Wolverhampton and travelling well under Jason Hart, he kept on to be beaten a length and a quarter behind the winner.
Tommytwohoots has now slipped to a fair mark and, having now run much his best race this year, his turn to get his head in front for the first time might not be too far away, particularly with John Quinn’s horses running well. His best efforts have come on the all-weather over seven furlongs, having ended last season with a couple more second places in nurseries at Chelmsford and Wolverhampton.
Typewriter was slowly into stride on her debut in division one of this six-furlong novice, looking clueless in the early stages and needing to be ridden along before halfway. It was clear from a long way out that Typewriter was going to play little part in the finish, but she stayed on powerfully inside the final furlong, ultimately shaping with some promise in fourth.
Typewriter was sent off at just 3/1 on debut so is evidently thought capable of better and trainer Andrew Balding's juveniles often come on significantly for the run, so it would be little surprise were she to prove much sharper with this experience under her belt. She is by high-class miler Gleneagles and out of a mare who stayed a mile and a quarter, so Typewriter is likely to improve when stepping up in trip.
Timeform Eyecatchers of the Week
July 12- July 18 - Riches And Rubies will improve for a longer trip
July 5- July 11 - Hurricane Ivor remains a sprinter to be positive about
June 28-July 4 - Maglev one to note moving forward for William Haggas
June 21-27 - Clive Cox's juvenile Codify has more to offer in future
June 14-20 - Naval Crown is a horse to take forward from Royal Ascot
June 7-13 - Night Hunter caught the eye at Leicester
May 31-June 6 - To Be Wild was among the latest horses to take the eye
May 24-30 - Eyecatchers from Timeform including Bernardo O'Reilly
May 17-23 - Check out the week's eyecatchers from Timeform including Bezzas Lad
May 10-16 - Including a two-year-old to note from the Sunday meeting at Ripon