Newsboy fancies his nap, Woodrafff, to win at Newcastle and also hopes Illy’s Roo can score at Haydock and complete his Daily Double
WOODRAFFF is fancied to follow up a last-time-out course-and-distance score when he locks horns with 13 rivals for the Mini Golf At High Gosforth Park Handicap (7.30) at Newcastle on Friday evening.Having got little luck in running when third to Ring Of Gold here three starts ago, Ruth Carr’s four-year-old ran better than the result suggests when fourth to Toussarok at Wolverhampton next time.
And, back at Newcastle on his most recent outing, Woodrafff ran out the authoritative winner of a seven-furlong handicap, travelling with menace under William Pyle before asserting to beat My Mate Beattie by one length.The handicapper has reacted with a 4lb rise in the weights but Woodrafff looks capable of further improvement and gets the vote to follow up.
At Haydock, ILLY’S ROO looks to have been let in lightly by the assessor in the Safer Gambling With CopyBet Nursery Handicap (3.40).The Jack Channon-trained youngster took a big step forward first to second start when landing a novice stakes at Salisbury by three lengths 15 days ago.Tom Marquand’s partner starts life in handicaps from a British Horseracing Authority rating of 73 – and that’s a mark that looks well within range for a horse with plenty more to offer.FRIDAY’S SELECTIONS HAYDOCK1.55 GNOMON2.30 ACCREDIT3.05 ETERNAL FORCE3.40 ILLY’S ROO (NB)4.15 WHISKEY KISSES4.50 TRILBY5.25 BRAZILIAN BELLEUTTOXETER1.47 LAURENS BAY2.22 SHABALKO D’HERM2.57 ANOTHER LORD3.32 MASKED DANCE4.07 MY FRIEND SEAN4.40 CUBAN COURT5.10 SAPPHOS WORDREDCAR1.10 HARSWELL ANGEL1.40 BELLA DELIZIA2.15 BEYOND THE BAR2.50 WITHOUT FLAW3.25 FLOWSTATE4.00 ALBEYOURS4.35 LUMENBOURG5.05 PRIDE OF NEPALFAKENHAM2.05 SETTLE DOWN JILL2.40 BACK IN THE BAY3.15 CURRUMBIN3.50 BLUE UNIVERSE4.25 TAXUS BACCATA5.00 CARLTONNEWCASTLE4.55 CENSUS5.30 BIG WIN6.00 DANDY’S ROCKET6.30 EMPIRESTATEOFMIND7.00 PALADIN7.30 WOODRAFFF (NAP)8.00 KING’S SCHOOL8.30 SECOND FIDDLEDOUBLE: WOODRAFFF and ILLY’S ROO