There is no doubt the Friday’s highlight is the rescheduled Vertem Futurity Trophy and it is refreshing that reopening the race has lessened the dominance of the Aiden O’Brien yard.
Hopefully it will put a few punters on the gate at Newcastle because it is the first Group One race to be staged on the All-Weather and could have a serious impact on what may happen next year.
However, readers probably know these races are not the ones I bet in and there is some really good racing action at
Newmarket and Wetherby. Best of luck.
This horse is nowhere near the best to run in The Queen’s colour’s, but he has shown ability on a couple of occasions and ran his best race over this trip on soft ground.
The conditions of this race mean some good young jockeys claim a good allowance and Tom Buckley is able to claim a valuable 8lb here.
Buckley has ridden three seconds in recent rides and deserves to go one better here. It can be a punishing home straight at Wetherby in testing conditions and No Trumps' low weight will certainly help his cause.
His trainer is in good form, as always at this time of year as well.
It certainly won’t compensate Hughie Morrison after Marmelo was withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup, but getting this eight-year-old to win two on the spin will further augment his talent for keeping horses going with enthusiasm for several seasons.
Fun Mac showed great determination to overcome two in-form stayers and win at Pontefract last time out and, surprisingly, runs off the same mark here.
He should win again.
True Romance is an improved performer on the Flat this summer and has risen 11lb in four runs but still looked like he had more to give last time out.
If he maintains that improvement over hurdles, he could win at least a couple of races this autumn.
He has settled better in his races recently and that has been key to him returning to form, and hopefully it will be the same scenario over jumps.
Dave's top trio: