Keep the faith with Arlecchino's Leap
ARLECCHINO'S LEAP might have slipped under the proverbial radar ahead of the R & M Electrical Group Handicap at Newbury.
Trained by the underrated Mark Usher, the three-year-old gelding is taken to revel in the step back up to seven furlongs at the Berkshire circuit.
The son of Kheleyf has been in fine fettle this term and emerged a plucky winner of a seven-furlong handicap at Brighton last month. He was not far off from doubling up at Bath a few weeks later, but a troublesome passage towards the winning line, allied to a sharp enough trip of five and a half furlongs, proved his undoing.
Little wonder Usher sends Arlecchino's Leap back over seven furlongs for this assignment, which looks tougher but far from insurmountable.
It is also interesting to see his trainer again reach for the cheekpieces, which served him so well at Brighton.
FELIX LEITER made some encouraging gains at Ripon earlier in the month to suggest he could be a player in the Watch On 3 Devices racinguk.Com Handicap at Haydock.
Karl Burke's chestnut won a class two handicap at York as a juvenile, and served notice his time could be near last time out.
Felix Leiter was never really a factor in a six-furlong handicap at Ripon, but he finished off his race strongly to take fourth spot and has since been relieved of another 1lb.
The gelded son of Monsieur Bond is well capable of winning a race like this.
Great racing at Hamilton, with MAFTOOL nicely poised to land the feature race of the night, the EBF Stallions Glasgow Stakes.
Saeed bin Suroor's three-year-old must shoulder a penalty in this Listed affair, but he has the best form in the race.
BRAVO ECHO should be followed in the EUF Group Shipping & Logistics Specialists Handicap at Newmarket.