Horse Racing Tips: Esna can land Listed prize at Newmarket

It's Flat racing across the board on Sunday, with all five meetings across Britain and Ireland taking place on the level.

Cork and Sligo provide the action in Ireland, with the former hosting a Listed contest, as well as Hamilton and Salisbury in Britain.

Newmarket provides high-quality racing and their feature race is the Betfred 1000 Guineas. This gives three-year-old fillies a chance to shine, as the colts had got their turn in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday. There's also the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes and some decent handicaps.

Among our fancies is a Brian Meehan-trained runner in the opening Listed contest. The filly in question was last seen finishing fourth behind a top Ballydoyle prospect in a French Group 1 and should appreciate middle-distances as a three-year-old. 

13:45 Newmarket - Esna @ 2/1

Brian Meehan is winless from nine runners in the last fortnight, but he runs ESNA in this race and her form is right up there with the best on offer. The daughter of Starman has shown promise in all three starts to date and perhaps there’s more to come this year.

She started off in a Class 2 maiden over 7f at Sandown in August and she ran well for a long way before getting tired in the closing stages. The form has worked out particularly well, with the third, fourth and fifth all winning since, and that certainly bodes well.

Getting off the mark over the same course and distance next time, Morshdi was second on that occasion and he won a Listed contest recently. Finishing fourth behind Diamond Necklace in a Group 1 looks like solid form and she’s the one to beat here.

15:35 Newmarket - Precise @ 5/2

It's only a matter of time until Aidan O'Brien returns to winning ways in this race, with his last success coming five years ago. This could be his year however and he has two outstanding chances and the most appealing of them is PRECISE.

She improved with every start as a two-year-old and got off the mark in a 7f maiden at Cork last term, with the well beaten fourth subsequently winning a Group 3. Precise wasn't O'Brien's most fancied runner in the Moyglare, but she still managed to get the job done.

Her three-and-three-quarter-length demolition job in the Fillies' Mile over course and distance last time out is clearly the best piece of form on offer and it makes her the standout candidate. There could be more to come from her over longer trips in the future too.

17:20 Newmarket - Study Of Words @ 7/4

Charlie Appleby is the trainer to side with at Newmarket, as he regularly lands winners on the Rowley Mile and the July Course, with very healthy strike-rates too. Improving with every run last season, STUDY OF WORDS is likely to thrive as a three-year-old.

He struggled over a mile on debut in a decent maiden at Ascot back in September and looked badly in need of the experience on that occasion. Connections decided to go up in trip at Goodwood next time and he produced a much improved display to finish second.

Clearly he took a big step forward next time as he absolutely destroyed his three rivals when winning a course and distance maiden by 15 lengths last time out. If that form is to be taken at face value, an opening mark of 95 could prove to be very generous.

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