Newmarket and Windsor host quality cards on Sunday and Simon Holt has a trio of selections including the returning Power Of Darkness.
Newmarket and Windsor take centre stage in front of the ITV4 cameras on Sunday afternoon and, at the latter track, JEAN BAPTISTE is taken to appreciate the step up to a mile in the Bombardier "March To Your Own Drum" Handicap.
This Sir Michael Stoute-trained son of Invincible Spirit has been a near-misser so far, but there was nothing wrong with his attitude at Newcastle (7f) a few weeks ago when he came under pressure some way out and battled home gamely before going down by two necks to Canagat.
The winner was beaten last week but looked a non-stayer over a mile whereas the selection, who is related to several decent winners at a mile-plus, looks ready to strike over this extra ground.
A switch back to turf for Jean Baptiste should also be no problem on pedigree and one suspects he's going to rate higher than 86 before too long.
Before ITV4 go on air at Newmarket, POWER OF DARKNESS is fancied to make a winning reappearance in the Betway Casino Handicap.
This talented five-year-old may be a little fragile as he has raced just eight times in three seasons but he won first time out in 2018 and was beaten just a head by Beringer on his seasonal debut over this course and distance last April.
Later last summer, Power Of Darkness won consecutive races at Salisbury and Ascot (at the Shergar Cup meeting) finishing strongly from the back of the field on each occasion and the key to his prospects is a strong pace as Marcus Tregoning's gelding can be keen in the early stages.
Tregoning, whose horses have been in decent form, will be pleased to note that Alfred Boucher and Gin Palace, both winners from the front, should help to ensure a true gallop here.
Later on, I suggest a small interest in VIVID DIAMOND at decent odds in the Betway Fred Archer Stakes.
The Mark Johnston-trained front-runner made great strides forward last autumn when running an absolute cracker in third behind Enbihaar and Delphinia in the Park Hill at Doncaster before filling the same position behind Morando and Sextant in the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot.
A mile-and-a-half or a mile-and-six seems to suit Vivid Diamond who could get the run of things here under Franny Norton and looks over-priced considering she comes out best at the weights on official ratings taking into account her 5lb sex allowance.
Posted at 1710 BST on 27/06/20
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