It’s Grand National day and there is also plenty of action live on Sky Sports Racing on Saturday, with racing from Chepstow, Newcastle, Yarmouth and Wolverhampton.
4.55 Yarmouth – Alpine Trail and Palazzo Blue contest strong novice
John and Thady Gosden saddle Dubawi colt Antrim for the first time in the Quinnbet Daily Free Bet Novice Stakes on Saturday. He is out of a winning half-sister to the superstar Enable and market confidence behind this regally bred colt must be noted.
Godolphin’s Alpine Trail won nicely on debut at Wolverhampton, beating a well-bred sort in Paratrooper and carries a seven-pound penalty for that success. He is fancied to build on that run and progress further under James Doyle.
Palazzo Blu is another carrying a penalty for his debut success and the form of that race at Chelmsford has been franked with the third-placed Aegean Prince following up to win at Kempton.
Richard Hannon is represented by Eupator who also has a very exciting pedigree, with his dam being a half-sister to the six-time Group 1 winner Midday. He’s shown enough promise in two starts to suggest he is capable of winning races and should prove hard to beat.
El Ghaawy could only manage a fourth-placed finish on debut but is likely to build on that and represents top connections and so would be dangerous to dismiss.
2.40 Newcastle – Cerendipity and Flic Ou Voyou lock horns
Eight-year-old Cerendipity bounced back to form last time following a wind operation and was always doing enough to win over further at Newcastle last time out. Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith have opted to drop him back in trip for the Val And Kath Bollado Memorial Handicap Chase which should be no issue with Peter Kavanagh taking over to take off a handy three pounds.
Flic Ou Voyou was well beaten at Carlisle on soft ground, which wouldn’t have been his cup of tea, and he did win over this course and distance in October so should have a great chance back on better ground.
Special Rate chased home Cerendipity at Newcastle last time and connections will be hoping to reverse that piece of form here, back down in trip.
Immortal Flame and Genois complete the shortlist.
6.45 Wolverhampton – Megaphone seeks hat-trick
Billy Loughnane is chasing the All-Weather Championship Jockey’s title and has a good chance of closing the gap on Hector Crouch in the Win £1M With BetMGM’s Golden Goals Handicap aboard the hat-trick-chasing Megaphone, who has since been gelded following his course-and-distance win.
Hector Crouch will be hoping to spoil the party as he partners the last-time-out winner Desert Champion who was behind Megaphone at Wolverhampton but could reverse that form this time. He caught the eye when winning at Chelmsford last time and ensures this will be a competitive match-up.
Seraphim Angel kept good company all through last season and looks up against it at the weights on her return, but a repeat of her penultimate run should see her be competitive.
He was disappointing when upped to six furlongs last time out but on his penultimate start, Ay Gee Ell finished second behind Megaphone at Wolverhampton and could go close back down in trip.
Best of the rest
Journalism, Barnes and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero Citizen Bull are set to face off in the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday night.
Journalism established himself as a leading Kentucky Derby contender when defeating Barnes in the San Felipe Stakes last time out and there looks little reason as to why the form will be reversed.
However, Citizen Bull made a smart reappearance and should help make this more interesting. It’s a small but very talented field heading to post on Saturday and should make for a fascinating contest.
We have more Group One action Down Under with Randwick staging a lucrative card on Saturday morning.
Desert Hero and Al Mubhir will bid to enhance William Haggas’ already excellent record in Australia, as they participate in the Group Two Schweppes Chairman’s Quality and Group One The Star Doncaster Mile respectively. With Tom Marquand required in Dubai for World Cup night at Meydan, Ryan Moore and Andrea Atzeni have been acquired by the Somerville Lodge team.
Fresh from a successful weekend at Leopardstown last weekend, Ryan Moore has a couple of rides for Coolmore on the card, namely Wodeton who looks to have an outstanding chance in the Group One Inglis Sires’ contest and Switzerland who should be competitive in the Group One Asahi Super Dry T J Smith Stakes. He has also picked up a ride aboard Imperialist in the Australian Derby towards the end of the card.
