Newbury preview: Suffused can score for in-form trainer Charlton

Trainer Roger Charlton has his team in terrific shape, and Suffused can provide him with another success in the 1m 2f feature handicap on this evening’s card at Newbury (20.30).

The filly won a 7f maiden at Newmarket in good style on her sole start as a juvenile and has shown progressive form in two runs this season.

After finishing a highly promising fourth to Cilento in a decent 1m contest on reappearance at Ascot when looking in need of the run, Suffused put in a cracking effort to be beaten just a neck by Space Age at Newmarket.

Suffused relished the step up to 1m 2f, and threw down a determined challenge throughout the final furlong before being unable to find any extra close home.

The winner is a very useful sort who has gone on to land the valuable and ultra-competitive 17-runner King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, and that form reads extremely well in the context of this contest.

It makes a 3lb rise in the weights for Suffused look on a lenient side, and a repeat of that effort should be more than good enough to see the daughter of Champs Elysees take this before going on to better things.

In the 5f handicap that closes proceedings (21.00), Mr Dandy Man can take advantage of a drop in the weights to get back to winning ways.

The Ron Harris trained gelding was last successful in a 5f contest at Salisbury 12 months ago when running on strongly to score by 2 3/4 lengths off a mark of 68.

Mr Dandy Man went on to finish a solid third off 76, and is now able to race off a reduced mark of just 65.

That is a career-low and gives the four-year-old major claims from a handicap perspective on the pick of his form.

Mr Dandy Man also comes into the contest having signalled a return to form when fourth at Leicester, where he showed bags of early speed to lead until inside the final furlong and lost two places when weakening close home.

That run was a big step in the right direction, and if building on it Mr Dandy Man looks weighted to take all the beating.

Selections:
18.30: Dark Amber
19.00: Custodial
19.30: Heroic Heart
20.00: Gen I Am
20.30: Suffused (NAP)
21.00: Mr Dandy Man (NB)