A good time to take a chance on Mutanaaseq at Salisbury

The feature race at Newmarket on Saturday is the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes and for three-year-old plus fillies’ and mares’ and Andre Fabre has persuaded Coolmore to fork out £20,000 to supplement their recent Prix Moulin runner up Wind Chimes to the field.

The betting is headed by recent Matron Stakes winner Laurens at 5/2 with BetVictor but I am a massive fan of the Fabre three-year-old who was put in at 6/1 and is now just 7/2 with BetVictor. I can’t have Veracious or Clemmie who are next in the betting and have supported the French filly. Note the French have won five of the last ten renewals of the race.

There’s a good card at Salisbury this afternoon and there are some beautifully bred newcomers in the Maidens and the market should provide some valuable clues as to their expectations first time out.

In the 6f Handicap Mutanaaseq (4.20) has been gelded and had a wind operation since pulling too hard in a Newmarket nursery last August.

The three-year-old won first time out as a two-year-old and then looked a Royal Ascot juvenile when beating Bengali Boys over 5f at Doncaster last May. The fact that leading connections have persevered with the gelding suggests he has been showing enough at home and he is fitted with a first-time tongue-tie today. First time out may be the time to catch him.

This stiff 5f should suit Three Little Birds (5.25) in the finale for Sylvester Kirk and Jason Watson.

The filly has not been out of the first three in her last five starts and she is well drawn in stall three. There looks to be plenty of pace in the race and Sylvester Kirk has saddled a couple of winners with his last five runners.

At Nottingham, Ambling (1.30) is taken to build on a promising Newmarket debut when a staying on fourth for John Gosden.

The filly is hardly one of the stable stars and the hood she wore on debut is retained, but she showed distinct signs of ability at HQ and Robert Havlin takes over in the saddle.

Those with experience don’t look anything out of the ordinary in the second division and a chance is taken on Charlie Appleby’s newcomer Ya Hala (2.30) who is the half-sister to seven previous winners and the yard can certainly get them ready first time out.

In the third of four £25,000 handicaps on the card the lightly-raced Gravina (4.10) is taken to get back to winning ways reverting to ten furlongs having travelled very well when finishing third over 12f last time. This drop back in trip should suit although a draw in stall seven of nine is a slight concern.

Nibraas Galaxy is 3lbs higher than when a close third at Haydock on soft ground last time, but he looks to be progressing well and showed that faster ground held no terrors when easily scoring in first time blinkers on his penultimate start at Yarmouth. Oisin Murphy keeps the ride.

Good ground forecast for Bangor’s jumps card and Wandrin Star (4.00) looked to be getting his house in order over fences when last seen back in the spring.

The gelding is 3lbs higher than when runner up at Uttoxeter last time, but he gets on well with conditional Mikey Hamill and the fitting of a tongue-tie looks to have been the key. Trainer Kim Bailey keeps the aid on this afternoon.

In the finale Show’s Over (5.05) has his first start for Fergal O’Brien and talented conditional Connor Brace takes off a valuable 10lbs. The selection won a couple of chases for Tim Vaughan and has his first start for Fergal O’Brien today.

For all your racing odds go to BetVictor.com or follow us on Twitter.