Lattam could prove to be well ahead of the assessor in the Jenningsbet In Kippax Seaton Delaval Handicap at Newcastle.
Trained by William Haggas, he was expertly placed to win first time out this season in the Irish Lincolnshire, bagging a huge pot on just his fifth ever run.
That success was pretty last-gasp, with Chris Hayes delivering him right on the line to beat a hardened handicapper in Saltonstall.
Haggas went to Ireland as Lattam needs cut in the ground, which he had on his most recent outing at Newbury in the Spring Cup.
He had no excuse when beaten into second that day as the 2-1 favourite and on the face of it, being beaten three-and-a-half lengths, you may have thought the handicapper had hold of him on a mark of 92.
However, the winner of that race was none other than Jimi Hendrix, revitalised by first-time blinkers there and he made a mockery of a mark of 94. That was no surprise really as last week he still looked well treated when beating stablemate Sonny Liston by two lengths in the Royal Hunt Cup off 103.
Taking that into account, Lattam faced a pretty tough ask at Newbury so even with an extra 2lb, he looks the one to beat despite racing on the all-weather for the first time. His sire Lope De Vega’s progeny operate at an impressive 40 per cent on artificial surfaces.
Cheeky Blimey made a very pleasing debut and can take the next step in the Black Type Accountancy EBF ‘Confined’ Restricted Novice Stakes at Newmarket.
A Marco Botti-trained son of Ribchester, he was fourth of 15 at Leicester, only getting caught for third right on the line.
The winner, Andrew Balding’s Bits And Bobs, went close to defying a penalty next time out so the form looks decent.
There still looks to be scope for Winter Crown to win off his current mark. Trained by the now Royal Ascot-winning team of Julie Camacho and Steve Brown, he came from Godolphin having shown little in two outings.
Having won first time out for his new connections, he was second the next twice before finishing down the field at York but he was unlucky not to finish closer last time out at Beverley. Off the same mark in the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap at Nottingham, he catches the eye.
Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth is worthy of attention on paper ahead of his debut in the Hope & Leicester Racecourse Partnership EBF Novice Stakes at Leicester.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
NAP: Lattam (3.20: Newcastle)
DOUBLE: Cheeky Blimey (2.00: Newmarket)
TREBLE: Winter Crown (2.25: Nottingham)
YANKEE: Great Truth (5.12: Leicester)
