SATURDAY 20TH selections

The report I get on Fridays for a Saturday feature race...
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FEATURE RACE FOCUS
NEWBURY - GREENHAM STAKES (GROUP 3) (CLASS 1) 7F
LAST WEEK'S TIP - With our first choice becoming a non-runner, our second pick Brighterdaysahead won at 6/5 and our each-way fancy Staffordshire Knot finished second at 20/1!

2.40 Newbury - Saturday 20 April
Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (Group 3) 7f - ITV

The Greenham Stakes was first run in 1906 over a mile. After WW2, the race distance was altered to 7f and has been run over this distance since. It is open to colts and geldings who are three years of age and is a recognised trial for various colts' Classics in Europe, including the 2,000 Guineas in Newmarket. Recent top-class winners include Frankel (2011), Kingman (2014), Mohaather (2019) and Perfect Power (2022). The late Sir Henry Cecil and Richard Hannon Sr. each trained six winners of this race. This year's renewal looks interesting and could provide a few more answers ahead of the 2,000 Guineas, which is due to take place at HQ on Saturday 4 May.

Ralph Beckett trains the current favourite, ZOUM ZOUM, who hadn't seen a racecourse before last October, but has won his three career starts to date. His latest success came in a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud in heavy ground and there looks to be plenty more to come from him. The expected soft ground should be ideal for this son of Zoustar. BALLYMOUNT BOY enjoyed an excellent juvenile season, winning two races and being placed in three others. He's another who should enjoy the ground and he has form over 7f. He is more exposed than Zoum Zoum.

ARMY ETHOS wears cheekpieces for the first time. He finished second in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last June but was on the sidelines for the rest of the year. Trainer Archie Watson was keen to get a run into him before the Greenham so sent him to Newcastle at the beginning of March, where he finished second to the potentially smart Pocklington. Army Ethos is entitled to come on for that run but has a bit to find. ROOM SERVICE won the £300,000 Sales race at Doncaster on his final start of 2023 and could relish conditions.

MISTER SKETCH won at Salisbury last August before finishing second in the Mill Reef Stakes at this course back in September. He tries 7f for the first time here and could run well. WATCH MY TRACER showed improved form when landing a Listed race at Lingfield on his first start as a three-year-old in March. He's untried on ground softer than good. ALASKAN GOLD finished second to Ballymount Boy at Doncaster when last seen and outrunning his odds (he was sent off 16/1 that day). The visor which presumably accounted for his improvement, has been discarded.

JAMES'S DELIGHT showed marked improvement following a gelding operation last autumn, and won a Listed race at Pontefract two weeks ago in fine style. Being a gelding, he will be unable to contest the 2,000 Guineas, but he looks more than capable of giving the colts a run for their money here. ESQUIRE and SON need to step up significantly to feature, and the likeable EL BODON is thrown in at the deep end here following just two runs in novice races last year.

VERDICT

ZOUM ZOUM looks potentially exciting, and he is well-regarded by connections. He looks the one to beat, but JAMES'S DELIGHT is taken to run well at a bigger price.