County duo tipped to score hair-raising Newmarket hit (From York Press)

County duo tipped to score hair-raising Newmarket hit

10:41am Saturday 21st July 2012 in Sport By Tom O'Ryan, Racing journalist

Jedward scored a hit at Newmarket last week for Richard Fahey and Paul Hanagan and is fancied to double up at Ascot tomorrow.

The five-year-old, owned by Dr Marwan Koukash, had run several good races in defeat before getting off the mark at Newmarket, where she made all the running and hung on grimly inside the final furlong.

Since then, the old firm of Fahey and Hanagan have clinched a Group 1 July Cup triumph with Mayson, not to mention a Hamilton treble in mid-week on a day when Fahey’s seven runners produced five winners and two seconds.

The SIS Sprint Handicap offers a sizeable £45,000 in prize money and, in a wide open race, Jedward has a better chance than most of coming out on top.

The nap vote goes to Tropical Beat, who should relish the step up to a mile and a half in the GL Events Owen Brown Handicap.

The John Gosden-trained four-year-old was beaten by less than a length into third by Encke at Sandown last time over ten furlongs and when meeting trouble in running.

Compensation is on the cards.

Nassau Storm promises to make a bold bid in the Betfair Handicap over six furlongs.

An all-weather winner on his second start this season, Nassau Storm has been beaten in photo-finishes in his two outings since at Yarmouth and Windsor. He is overdue a second success this term.

If consistency is the key to the Keltbray Handicap then Prince Of Sorrento will be hard to beat.

Lee Carter’s gelding has scarcely finished out of the money all summer and went down by only a whisker at Newcastle last time in the race won by Swiftly Done.

Also worth noting at Ascot, which is the only Flat meeting tomorrow following the abandonment of waterlogged Redcar, are the well-bred Sea Shanty (2.15) and the promising Dalkova (4.35). Both could provide Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes with a double.

At Newmarket today, Irish rider Bible Belt will surely be hard to beat in the featured Newsells Park Stud Stakes, a Listed contest.

Jessica Harrington’s filly scored in Group 3 company and in Listed class last season. Her only start this season resulted in a last of four finishers behind the mighty So You Think in a Group 1 race in Ireland. This will be considerably easier.

Coolminx, who stayed on well to finish fourth at Pontefract last time, could take a hand in the finish of the opening Bluesquare Fillies’ Handicap. Barry McHugh’s mount enjoys soft ground and has strong each-way claims on the pick of her form.

Kyllachy Star, a stablemate of Coolminx in Fahey’s Musley Bank yard, also has sound chances of getting in the thick of the action in the Get Your Bet On At Blue Square Handicap.

Although he has yet to get his head in front this season, David Nolan’s partner has run some decent races in hot handicaps. This looks less challenging than the race he tackled at Sandown last time, when he finished just behind the placed horses.

Sir Henry Cecil can keep his loyal legion of fans happy on his local course by winning the Atkinson Bolton Handicap with Touch Gold.

The three-year-old can complete a hat-trick under Tom Queally.

Racing selections

Newmarket (today)

2.00 Coolminx, 2.35 Kyleakin Lass, 3.10 Bible Belt, 3.45 Kyllachy Star, 4.25 Hoarding, 5.00 Cathedral, 5.35 Touch Gold.

Today’s meetings : Ascot, Haydock, Lingfield, Market Rasen and Ripon.

Ascot (tomorrow)

2.15 Sea Shanty, 2.50 Tropical Beat (NAP), 3.25 Nassau Storm, 4.00 Prince Of Sorrento, 4.35 Dalkova, 5.05 Jedward.

Tomorrow’s other meeting : Newton Abbot.

The meeting at Redcar was abandoned.