Timeform Radio Racing Tips: Magical Kingdom to rule at Newbury

David's best bets on Friday run at Newbury

David Cleary turns his attention to Newbury, providing you with his thoughts on two races...

It's the third and final day of the Dante meeting at York this afternoon, with the day's feature the Yorkshire Cup, at 14.45. However, yesterday's deluge at York has turned the ground to soft and makes punting even more problematic than it might otherwise be. In this case, it may be best to concentrate elsewhere, principally at Newbury, with the listed Carnarvon Stakes at 15.40 making particular appeal.

Ninjago is sure to be popular after his impressive win at Ascot earlier in the month, much improved on the day, and he could well win again; however, the Ascot race was perfectly set up for a closer and this afternoon's race may not suit him nearly so well. Intibaah, second that day, also came from off the pace, but the fourth home Zanetto was up with the pace, doing best of the front-runners, and he could well reverse placings on a track which will suit his style of racing much better. Zanetto had shown better form previously and a return to that level would give him every chance.

Last autumn, Zanetto finished runner-up in the Sirenia Stakes at Kempton and Glass Office, who beat him that day, is also worth including in calculations this afternoon. Glass Office has won all three starts at six furlongs on polytrack and this clearly looks his optimum trip. Whether he is so effective on turf remains to be seen, but he shaped well on it on debut and his other two turf runs came over further. For his two previous starts this year, Glass Office was over unsuitable trips on tapeta at Meydan. Entries in the Diamond Jubilee and July Cup suggest connections still hold out the hope that Glass Office will make up into the smart sprinter his Kempton win promised.

The three-year-old handicap at 16.15 features several unexposed, potentially useful performers but the one that makes most appeal at the prices is Magical Kingdom. He's had two outings on polytrack, both of them in steadily-run races, winning a maiden then coming last, not beaten far, in a four-finisher handicap. Two of the three ahead of him in the latter, have won handicaps since. That suggests, despite the defeat, that Magical Kingdom is on a fair mark, and a truer pace, drawing out the stamina in his pedigree, could well show him to much better advantage.

Recommended Bets:

Back Zanetto and Glass Office @ 9.08/1 and 17.016/1 respectively in the 15.40 at Newbury
Back Magical Kingdom @ 9.08/1 in the 16.15 at Newbury

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