Andrew Wootton with today's market moves from the Sky Bet trading room.
2.15 Newcastle Chipchase Stakes Maarek 100/30 from 9/2
Good early support came for David Nagle's Irish raider once today's Northumberland Plate meeting at Newcastle had been given the go ahead. Maarek is a known lover of the softer ground with each of his five career wins coming with some degree of ease in the ground. Has had a cracking 2012 so far with two wins either side of the Irish sea and running arguably a career best on drying ground at Royal Ascot last time. The early support indicates he is fancied to score at Group level in his first attempt at the grade.
2.45 Newcastle Betfred Mobile Sports Handicap Fast Shot 12/1 from 16/1
An early move in the market has come for Tim Easterby's four year old Fast Shot. He has excuses for his last two runs having been hampered at Ripon before being slowly away over seven furlongs at York but is fancied to put that behind him today. The Fasilyev gelding was a decisive winner of a soft ground Ripon handicap earlier in the year and he went close again at York soon after. The handicapper has dropped him 1lb from his previous run and he returns to a more suitable six furlongs today. The support indicates he has a strong each way chance.
3.00 Newmarket Fred Archer Listed Race Barbican 6/1 from 7/1
Alan Bailey's four year old Barbican looked to be a fast improving horse last year after taking a very competitive Ascot handicap before improving further to land two listed races. His successes earned him a spring trip to Dubai where he ran creditably behind recent Ascot Gold Cup 2nd Opinion Poll. Since returning to UK shores he hasn't quite showed the level of form he is capable of but the early money suggests he is fancied to put that behind him today.
3.20 Newcastle Northumberland Plate Il De Re 3/1 from 5/1
Support has come early for Donald McCain's charge to become the first horse since Attivo in 1974 to land the Chester Cup-Northumberland Plate double in the same year. Il De Re won the Chester Cup in some style from his stablemate, Overturn, who was successful in this race two years ago and is once again fancied to go well on his favoured soft ground. Jim Crowley keeps the ride on him from Chester and the early support suggest he is strongly fancied to land the historic double.
