It took a while for Naval Tribute to get the advantage of his rivals at Newbury, but he got the job done…just.
I'm not sure if there was a stewards enquiry, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have a look at the race. Cieren Fallon couldn't stop the horse from wandering around the track, and he definitely hindered the runner-up and third-placed horse.
Would the result be different? potentially, as the third horse looked like he was staying on towards the rail, and our horse didn't look like the most straightforward.
Finlaggan 2/1 (1pt) – Pontefract 4.48
After seeing 2/1 for Finlaggan, my inital thought was that it was a short price. However, this looks like a weak race, and I can now understand why Finlaggan is the price he is.
He was disappointing last time out at Ripon, but he didn't look in love with the track. There are plenty of undulations at that venue, and if you can forgive him and look at his form from Pontefract, he surely is the one to beat.
He finished second at this track on his penultimate run, and was only beaten by small margins by a horse who arrived with a recent win. It's not the strongest of form, but my selection is very unexposed as a racehorse, with just a handful of runs.
Danny Tudhope is my main concern. He is like Paul Mulrennan for me. When I back him, he gives plenty of bad rides, and when I'm against him, he pulls out a brilliant ride.
Zoulette 11/8 (1pt) – Wolverhampton 8.00
Even though I think that Zoulette is the most likely winner in this race, I will not be going higher than the general 1pt win. Class 6 racing is not my strong point, and I think you can see quite a lot of surprises at this level.
I managed to watch Zoulette's run last time out as I tipped up a horse in the same race. I thought Zoulette ran a strong race, and it was much better than what we've previously seen from her. There was decent money for her, so it was a total shock to see her run well.
The handicapper has dropped her 1lb for that last runner-up finish, which is a bit strange, but that gives her an even better chance. Billy Loughnane has retained the ride, which is a big positive. He's one of the only jockeys in the country that I can confidently trust that he'll give us the best run for our money.
GambleAware