Craven Stakes Newmarket betting tips

I have absolutely no doubt that, of the nine runners in the Banshahousestables.com Craven Stakes, which takes place at Newmarket on Thursday, Adagio will turn out to be the best. However, with the Barry Hills stable in such good form, Thousand Words, a 3/1 chance with Ladbrokes, can come out on top. Lambourn handler Hills has landed this race twice in the last three years, with Killybegs last year and Haafhd in 2004, and his team have made a bright start to the season - and to this meeting. Indeed, Prime Defender prevailed in the Free Handicap yesterday, before Snaafy took the penultimate race on the card, confirming the wellbeing of the yard's horses. Invariably, the market is revealing with regard to the likely outcome of races like this, and if Thousand Words is friendless in the ring, caution is advised. But, otherwise, the Dansili colt has excellent claims. He bounced back from a below-par effort in the Champagne Stakes by scoring in the Group 3 Somerville Tattersalls Stakes on this course in September. Thousand Words won that race cosily, but probably wasn't ideally suited by the soft going, and he certainly found the conditions too testing in the Racing Post Trophy at Newbury in his final start as a two-year-old, albeit he was far from disgraced in finishing just over five lengths fifth of 14 behind Authorized. Back on a quick surface - underfoot conditions which he appeared to relish when winning on his debut at Newbury last term - Thousand Words can put his potent turn-of-foot to good use and beat the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Adagio, who possess more scope than the selection but may be seen to better effect once he's had a couple of runs and gained a bit more experience. Adagio has a superb pedigree being by Grand Lodge, out Lalindi, both high-class performers, and his two starts as a juvenile augur well for the future. A narrow debut victory in a decent maiden here in September was followed by a creditable effort in the Dewhurst Stakes, in which he finished over four lengths seventh of 15 behind Teofilo. He will improve as the season progresses. The remaining seven are all decent types but this Group 3 contest, a key trial for the 2000 Guineas here next month, looks for all the world as though it will turn out to be a straight match between the market leaders. Irish raider He's A Decoy and Willie Muir's Big Robert look the most likely to capitalise should the principals falter, but for which they'll probably fight out third place.Verdict - 2pts Thousand Words @ 3/1 (Ladbrokes)