MARIE’S JEWEL should appreciate the opportunity to tackle a mile when he locks horns with seven rivals for the Win £2,000,000 With BetMGM's Golden Goals Handicap (8.30) at Newcastle on Friday evening.
The son of Kodiac, trained in tandem by Roger Fell and Sean Murray, has yet to hit the target in five career attempts.
But there was more than enough in his latest run, in an apprentice handicap over Gosforth Park’s seven furlongs, to make Marie’s Jewel of interest here.
Sent off at 18-1, my selection sat at the back of the field before making ground on the leaders from the two-furlong pole.
And he ran on stoutly to the finish to get within a neck of Pallas Lord at the line.
The winner has gone in again since and the additional furlong here will help Marie’s Jewel as he seeks to overcome a 1lb nudge up the weights for a first career win.
At Ayr, WHOSMYDADDY is the selection to carry top weight to victory in the Virgin Bet Cheltenham Festival Money Back Handicap Chase (4.00).
The Sandy Thomson six-year-old marked his fencing - and handicap - debut with an emphatic seven-length margin at Musselburgh last time and an 8lb rise may not be enough to prevent the follow-up.
FRIDAY'S SELECTIONS
EXETER
1.40 ISOCRATE
2.10 KOENIGSSTERN
2.40 CAST’S TASHA
3.10 FINE CASTING
3.40 UNBLINKING
4.10 MY GRANNY LILY
AYR
2.00 RIDIN SOLO
2.30 CANCAN
3.00 WEAVER’S ANSWER
3.30 ARDERA CROSS
4.00 WHOSMYDADDY (NB)
4.30 MICKS JET
LEICESTER
2.20 MARBLE SANDS
2.50 IT’S EASY
3.20 JACK DOYEN
3.50 MONTGOMERY
4.20 CLONAKILTY
4.50 THE BIG LENSE
NEWCASTLE
5.00 MASS CONSUMPTION
5.30 ONE MORE DREAM
6.00 BOBBY JOE LEG
6.30 ABSOLUTE STAR
7.00 ROGUE DE VEGA
7.30 LAHAB
8.00 SAISONS D’OR
8.30 MARIE’S JEWEL (NAP)
DOUBLE: MARIE’S JEWEL and WHOSMYDADDY