We arrive on the eve of the Newmarket July festival with the flat season almost at its unofficial halfway mark.
Tomorrow’s July Stakes might prove to be instructive for those keeping an eye on this season’s batch of juveniles, with the promising Legends of War of John Gosden’s yard, Martin Meade’s Coventry Stakes second Advertise and the Irish raider Van Beethoven facing off at HQ.
For today we’ll make do with a spin to Catterick in sunny Yorkshire and it’s a locally-based trainer that we’re fancying to land the spoils in the 16:10 there later this afternoon.
The Mark Johnston stable claimed this with a three-year-old last year and might be able to repeat the trick this time around with Kittileo.
This Galileo filly is yet to get her head in front in five starts to date but has shown a fair level of ability and might just be able to improve for this step up to a 2m trip.
Far less exposed than most of those taking him on, he receives lumps of weight-for-age here taking on his elders for the first time.
Odds of 9/2 certainly appeals at a fair price and we’ll take a minimal investment in Johnston having this one aimed and ready to win for a first time tonight.
As inscrutable as the Highland handler can be at times, there’s the sniff of history repeating itself about the journey of Kittileo to this point and he can take the spoils home over a short trip to Middleham.
