Jockey Booking Catches The Eye On Marmajuke Bay

Oriental Tiger ran on for 4th earlier from what was an almost impossible position. Lynch gave him way too much to do and if he is ridden a little bit closer to the pace next time he will be in the first three.

Tomorrow at Salisbury the opening maiden is a heat with plenty of promising sorts taking their chances. The likes of Hannon, Channon, Stoute and Candy (sounds like a new Walkers Crisps flavour!) are all represented, and their horses are at the head of the market.

The gelding I like here though is Marmajuke Bay, trained by Mark Usher who has been in very good form lately (3 places and a win from last 8 runners). This son of Duke Of Marmalade made a very promising start to his career in what may turn out to be a decent class 4 maiden at Ascot.

He finished 6th that day, and was only a head behind Navajo War Dance who has since gone close in a class 2 conditions event (3rd) and is officially rated 84. That run was even more impressive considering it was Marmajuke Bay's debut and was Navajo's 3rd run.

Marmajuke just got a bit outpaced a furlong or two out, and looked a little bit green too. However,the penny dropped in the closing stages and he stayed on well between a couple of his rivals to just miss out on 5th. It was a lovely first run and he will have learnt an awful lot from it. Mark Usher's 2yo's always come on a lot from their first outings too, so he will have undoubtedly been pleased by what he saw.

He has a nice pedigree too. His dam is related to a heap of winners from 8f-12f, and her dam is a full sister to a dual Group 1 winner. Duke Of Marmalade has a solid start at stud. He has a decent 19% strike rate with 2yos, and a 30% strike rate with his progeny from 7f-9f. Jamie Spencer, who won on his only previous ride for Usher, has been booked and a odds of 33/1 Marmajuke Bay is surely worthy of a little each way interest.

STEVOS' SELECTION: 1.50 SALISBURY MARMAJUKE BAY (E/W) 33/1.