Laith Alareen

Laith Alareen finished last of five in the five-furlong handicap, but he is still worth noting. Weak in the market on this, his seasonal debut, his first run in 353 days, he showed a lot of early pace on the near side. He travelled well in the front rank for Dougie Costello, matching strides with Captain Colby through the first three furlongs, until lack of race fitness probably took its toll. It wasn’t an advantage either that he raced towards the centre of the track, on a day on which it looked like you wanted to be close to the rail.

Ivan Furtado’s horse was a progressive sprinter last season, he won his last four races of the season, all over five furlongs, all on fast ground, and he improved from a rating of 60 to the rating of 86 off which he raced on Saturday. He should be up to this type of mark, however, and he will be of interest again now with this run under his belt and when he can get back on faster ground. The handicapper dropped him by 1lb to a mark of 85, which is just 2lb higher than the mark off which he won at Yarmouth in August last year on his final run as a three-year-old.

Newmarket, 27^th July 2019