Newmarket best bets: Mister Bluebird poised to fly off reduced mark

14:05 Newmarket: Jenningsbet Grey Horse Handicap  (6 furlongs)

Reunited with his last winning rider, Billy Loughnane, Mister Bluebird stands out as being very attractively handicapped as he returns to contest this handicap in which he finished third last year.

Last year’s renewal, which took place on good ground, saw Mister Bluebird finish third of 15 when racing off a mark of 84, so he has to be worthy of very serious consideration as he comes back here off a mark of just 76.
He has shown himself to be in good shape on several occasions this season, including when beaten only a length or so on two of his last three runs.

They included a third of eight in a 0-91 handicap at Goodwood in June, when six of his seven rivals rated 83-91 which compares very favourably with today’s event, in which only one of his rivals is rated above 82.

Best bet: Mister Bluebird in the 14:05 at Newmarket

He went from the front on that occasion, but he was just beaten for finishing speed down the hill, with one of today’s rivals, Eminency, finishing a place ahead of him.

But six furlongs on that downhill track would have been too sharp for a six-year-old whose last two wins came over seven furlongs, suggesting that this uphill finish could be ideal on ground to suit.

A repeat of his performance in this race last season would be enough to make him a big player off his reduced mark, not to mention how well Billy Loughnane gets on with him, having either won or placed on three of the four previous occasions he has ridden him.

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Of the others, Strike comes here on the back of three wins from his last four outings and he is also a previous course-distance winner, so he has to be greatly respected.

He won this race in 2022 when the ground was good-to-firm and he has since added three more six-furlong wins to his tally, all on the same good-to-firm ground.

He looks sure to go well in this race once more, but he was three places behind Mister Bluebird in this event last year (finishing sixth of15) and he is 13lbs worse off today.

Next best bet: Strike in the 14:05 at Newmarket

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