5th-May-2023

I am backing Outbreak and Azano here.

Off the track for almost all of 2022, the Johnstons’ horse was in good form on the all-weather in the spring, winning a good handicap at Lingfield in February off a mark of 86 and running well at Wolverhampton and back at Lingfield off today’s mark of 91.

He was well beaten on his return to turf at Newmarket’s Craven meeting last month, but that was on soft ground.  He should be happier back on better ground today and back down 1lb in the handicap, and down in grade, into a 0-90 handicap.

He proved as a juvenile that he could operate on good to firm ground on turf, when he won a novice stakes at Salisbury impressively in the Qatar Racing colours and, if he can replicate his improvement on the all-weather to fast turf – and there is no reason why he won’t be able to do that – then he could run a big race today.

Azano is a little more speculative, his recent form is moderate at best, but all his recent runs have been on all-weather or easy ground.

He was in really good form last summer, when he won and then ran a big race in defeat on fast ground at Redcar and, if he can get close to that level of form today, that would give him a big chance.  He is down to a mark of 92 now, because of his poor form on all-weather and on easy ground, 8lb lower than his mark last August.

He is another who should appreciate the drop into a 0-90 handicap, and his forward-going style of racing is well suited to Newmarket on fast ground.

OUTBREAK WON (ADV 7/1, SP 9/2)

AZANO 2ND (ADV 22/1, SP 14/1)