Anamba A Name To Remember At Naas

After enjoying a fantastic winter at Dundalk when his team operated at a 33% strike rate, Mick Halford will be hoping the Royal Ascot trials day at Naas will kick start his season on the turf.

Halford’s Grass To Get Greener
Halford will have been frustrated that he has failed to get off the mark on turf so far this season but his horses haven’t been running that badly – as is proven at Dundalk – and he has had 16 horses placed on grass so far.

The Owenstown Stud Stakes is a good renewal of the race but it looks likely to be dominated by three-year-olds and Anamba is picked to get Halford that first turf winner for 2016.

A late withdrawal due to the ground for the 1,000 Guineas last weekend, Anamba had some solid juvenile form in just two runs last September and can be expected to make her mark at the first time of asking.

More Classic Form
Anamba is the 11/4 favourite with BoyleSports ahead of Dermot Weld’s Embiran who is a best priced 7/2 with BoyleSports and he too has some decent form having finished third in the very good renewal of this years Tetrarch Stakes behind Awtaad and Blue De Vega.

Naas is known as the punters graveyard on occasions and if there is to be some value outside of the top two in the betting it may come with In My Pocket. John Oxx is himself looking for his first win of the season and In My Pocket ran a nice race first time out this season at Leopardstown earlier in the month and if coming forward from that as she’d be expected to do, she might be overpriced at 10/1 for an each-way play…

but Anamba is hard to oppose.

*Prices correct at time of publication.