Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Kamboo a different proposition on the all-weather
Kamboo is very lightly raced for a four-year-old but there's already enough evidence to suggest that he's a much better performer on the all-weather than turf.
Since finishing sixth when shaping as if in need of the experience on his debut at Kempton, Kamboo has won both starts on the all-weather. There was a three-length victory over a talented rival in a mile novice at Kempton on his second and final start as a juvenile, and a half-length win in a valuable Racing League Handicap at Newcastle last August that is comfortably his best performance on Timeform ratings.
In contrast, from four starts on turf he has beaten only eight of the 55 rivals he has faced and the closest he has got to the winner was when beaten 13 lengths into seventeenth of nineteen in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Kamboo, who has been gelded and given a breathing operation since last seen, looks fairly treated from a BHA mark of 91 based on the form he showed when winning off a 4 lb lower mark at Newcastle last season, and he's likely to be ready to roll on his reappearance and first attempt at two miles.
Firstly, the booking of William Buick is a positive sign of intent; secondly, trainer Richard Hughes has his team in good order and has been successful with three of his last five runners. It's worth noting that Hughes had his team firing on all cylinders at this stage of the season last year as his record in March and April in 2024 read 20 winners from 56 runners at a strike rate of 35.7%.
Kamboo narrowly heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings for the opening two-mile handicap (14:05) at Kempton.
Sectionals suggest Pressure's On is one to note
Pressure's On, a winner at Newmarket on his final start last season, had to settle for second on his return to action at Wolverhampton three weeks ago but left the impression that he may well have won there granted more favourable circumstances.
Pressure's On was held up at Wolverhampton and that proved a disadvantage in a race run at just a steady gallop. He kept on well in the straight to take second close home but was unable to get on terms with the winner, Follow Your Heart, who was ridden more prominently and secured first run.
Timeform's reporter noted that Pressure's On "had shaped well after 4 months off, going like the best horse at the weights" and awarded the Horse In Focus Flag to identify him as one likely to be of interest next time.
Sectional times backed up the view that Pressure's On was unfortunate how that race developed as he was the only runner who dipped under 23 seconds for the final couple of furlongs and his sectional upgrade of 10 lb was 5 lb more than what the winner (and anything else in the race) received.
The 22-runner Spring Mile (13:50) at Doncaster is clearly a much more competitive race but Pressure's On looks like a leading player off the same mark having shaped like a well-handicapped horse at Wolverhampton.
Balding bidding to enhance excellent strike rate at Newcastle
Andrew Balding has had plenty of success at Newcastle and is operating at a 26% strike rate at the course since the start of 2020. He's enjoyed an especially fruitful time of things this year, however, and has had eight winners from 22 runners at a 36% strike rate with the horses he's sent on the long journey to the North East from his base in Kingsclere.
Balding, who has Timeform's Hot Trainer Flag to highlight the good form of the yard, has only one runner at Newcastle on Saturday: Frankini in the seven-furlong maiden (19:00).
Frankini, a 400,000 guineas purchase as a yearling, showed plenty to work with when beaten less than two lengths into fourth in a strong maiden at Ascot in September. Three horses from that contest won next time out, including runner-up Seaplane who had Frankini eight and a half lengths back in third when winning at Newmarket.
Frankini failed to reproduce his debut form at Newmarket, but he probably paid the price for trying to give chase to a superior rival on testing ground. He's better judged on his Ascot effort and heads Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings on that form.
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