Sam King tipped two winners yesterday and is back with three selections on Thursday.
Newmarket's three-day Cambridgeshire meeting kicks off on Thursday, with the Tattersalls Stakes taking centre stage this afternoon.
The 100-rated Distant Storm pulled too hard when third in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes and has bundles of potential for the Charlie Appleby team. The form of his Newmarket (July) maiden success could hardly have worked out any better, but he's been priced accordingly and there's one who catches the eye at a larger figure.
Ed Walker has what seems like an abundance of riches in the juvenile division this season and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with the debut of his Northern Champion, who cost a pretty €820,000 from the Arqana Breeze Up Sale.
A son of the late great and all-conquering Wootton Bassett, Northern Champion smacked of a very useful prospect when landing a valuable sales event on his debut at Deauville last month, travelling powerfully before quickening up in grand style inside the closing stages. The runner-up, River Card has also landed an Ascot maiden since, while he clocked an RPR that suggests he's certainly above average.
He was withdrawn from the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes on the account of the ground being too soft earlier in the month, so the sunny skies and drying ground in Newmarket this morning should be right up his street.
He'll need to take a sizeable step forward again to play a major role, but it's certainly feasible and Ed Walker's charge gets the nod in this interesting juvenile contest.
1pt Win - Northern Champion
Odds - 10/1
As so often is the case at both the July Course and Rowley Mile, Charlie Appleby and William Buick will dominate plenty of markets for their powerful connections.
The same is the case this afternoon, including in the mile nursery (2.25) where Monoceros has been well supported in the early markets.
A winner on the July Course here first time out, Monoceros was subsequently beaten under a penalty at Leicester and in all truth, I'm not convinced that he's particularly well-treated off an opening rating of 87, especially given the form of his debut success is yet to really work out.
With that in mind, I'm happy to side with Dark Shore, who has shown plenty of ability in his three outings to date and will surely have every chance in receipt of 9lb from Monoceros.
A 420,000gns Dark Angel colt, Jane Chapple-Hyam's contender stayed on nicely to finish fifth on debut over an inadequate trip at Ascot in a race has worked out well, with the winner Words Of Truth subsequently landing the Mill Reef Stakes, while the 92-rated third Wechaad runs in the Tattersalls Stakes following his impressive Doncaster nursery strike.
He went on to split 87-rated rivals McMurray, who has since scored at Doncaster, and the progressive maiden Crest Of Fire, when runner-up at Ffos Las on his second outing before proving no match for Mill Reef second Into The Sky back over six and a half furlongs at Newbury.
Stepping up to a mile on this stiff track ought to be right up his street and with further progress expected, he's a confident selection to making a winning nursery debut off this opening mark of 78.
2pt Win – Dark Shore
Odds – 11/4
In the lucky last, Criminal Shore looks poised to strike for the potent combination of David O'Meara and Oisin Murphy, who really catches the eye as a booking.
Any David O'Meara-trained runner venturing to Newmarket deserves the utmost respect, albeit his strike rate on the July course is far superior to on the Rowley Mile.
That said, the claims of Criminal Shore are there for all to see as he's 2lb well-in at the weights following an excellent neck defeat over a mile in the first-time visor at Musselburgh last week.
He races off an unchanged mark here and with both ground and trip to suit, this gelded three-year-old son of Kodiac gets the nod to double his career tally.
1pt Win – Crimson Shore
Odds – 7/2
