Racing

Four to follow this Saturday at Newbury

Etienne (Super Sprint)

In the big sprint event, I will take a swing at ETIENNE. I thought he shaped very well when just touched off on debut at Newmarket and is open to a lot more improvement. It seems as though Richard Spencer has targeted him at this prize, so with the right sort of profile, and being thrown straight into the deep end, a big performance could well be on the cards.

Ride The Thunder (Pertemps Handicap)

RIDE THE THUNDER wasn’t disgraced when sixth in the Northumberland Plate last time out and has been eased a pound. The four-year-old is totally unexposed over two miles and is likely to prefer being back on the grass, with his form on it reading 22214422. Roger Varian’s charge is strongly fancied to make a huge impact this time.

Soldiers Tree (Hackwood Stakes)

In the Hackwood Stakes, James Owens’ SOLDIERS TREE is a big fancy. He has made a solid start to his career, with a win and four placed efforts from five starts. He finished a close-up third behind a subsequent Group 1 winner at Salisbury on his penultimate start and caught the eye with a third-place finish in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot. He’s well worth a crack at this level and can make his mark.

Royal Playwright (Steventon Stakes)

ROYAL PLAYWRIGHT can run a big race in the Steventon. He could only finish fifth at Epsom last time out but I expect this track to suit him better and he’s more than capable of being in the shake-up if bringing his best form to the table based on previous evidence. Andrew Balding’s charge can ensure he runs very well.