13th-Oct-2023

I am backing old friend Matilda Picotte in the Challenge Stakes.

We had Kieran Cotter’s filly on side when she won the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster last time, making all the running, and a lot of the reasons for backing her then hold true today.  She is settling much better through her races these days than used to be the case, she is not a tearaway any more, and that means that she is comfortable over seven furlongs.  This is probably her optimum trip, and she goes well on easy ground.

As well as that, Newmarket rewards pace, the track is even better suited to front-running tactics than Doncaster.  It is also a significant positive that she put up a big performance to finish third in the Guineas in May at Newmarket, over a distance that stretched her stamina.

Oisin Murphy gave her a really good ride last time, the first occasion on which he rode her in a race, and he should know her even better today.  Audience and Chindit are big rivals, but she gets a 3lb fillies’ allowance and a 2lb age allowance from both, and that makes her a bet again today in my book at the price.

MATILDA PICOTTE WON (ADV 9/4, SP 2/1)