Cruiseaweigh should take all the beating at Warwick

John Gosden’s unbeaten juvenile Calyx was the big midweek mover in the betting for the 2000 Guineas and last year’s Coventry Stakes winner was cut across the board on Tuesday and is now 7s from 10s with BetVictor for the first classic of the season. The owner’s Racing Manager Lord Grimthorpe suggested the colt had worked well on the home gallops on Monday but did not confirm the Kingman colt for the race.

Alan King’s Talkischeap has been well supported for the Bet365 Chase at Sandown on Saturday and was 8/1 (from 12s) with BetVictor ahead of today’s 48-hour declaration stage.

Showers forecast for Beverley on Thursday and the ground is likely to be good for a competitive eight-race card.

King Of Tonga (3.20) is half-brother to a couple of winners and certainly won’t be inconvenienced if the forecast rain gets into the ground. Trainer Richard Fahey has saddled the winner of the corresponding race twice in the last three years and this gelded grey gets a narrow vote over David O’Meara’s Kuwait Station.

Experience counts for a fair bit in juvenile contests and I just favour Maybellene (2.15) to Knightcap in the Fillies’ Novice Auction Stakes. The selection was drawn out on the wing on her Windsor debut when she finished well to take third. This stiffer track should suit, and she has a decent draw in stall three.

Defence Treaty (3.55) makes his handicap debut for Fahey in the extended 7f handicap for three-year-olds and I felt he showed enough – certainly at Hamilton on debut – to suggest he would be winning his share of races this season.

A big run from Oasis Prince in the last at the Humberside track would be a good pointer to the chances of Dominus at Chelmsford this evening. Brian Meehan’s three-year-old was only caught close home by the Mark Johnston runner at Leicester on his reappearance over 7f and the drop back to 6f should suit.

The vote, however, goes to the once-raced Hero Hero (6.00) who was backed into favouritism and lost little in defeat when second at Doncaster for Andrew Balding on debut. He should be just as effective on an all-weather surface as he is on turf.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Dream Of Dreams is likely to have plenty of support in the Conditions event over 6f, but marginal preference is for Hey Jonesy (7.00) who is half-brother to an all-weather winner and has had his wind operated on since his last start when second in a listed Doncaster sprint.

Cruiseaweigh (3.40) has the steadier of 12st 2lbs to carry at Warwick this afternoon but I thought he jumped superbly when going down to Away For Slates over 2m 3f at Doncaster when he gave the impression a drop back to the minimum trip would not be an inconvenience. He can race from the same mark this afternoon and if the ground is no worse than good to soft I feel he will take all the beating.

I’m still kicking myself for missing Irish Octave who won over C&D on his last start having seen him tumble in the weights of late. The nine-year-old is only 6lbs higher today and must go close but the nod goes to Butlergrove King (4.45) having his first start for Christian Williams this afternoon.

The selection has dropped to the same mark from which he scored at Ffos Las a couple of years ago and he has gone well fresh in the past. Williams and jockey Nick Schofield teamed up to have a winner at Ffos Las over Easter and first time out may be the time to catch the ten-year-old who is having his first start in over 200 days.

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