Hungerford Stakes Preview - today!

The Godolphin team are firing on all cylinders now - they've scored with eleven of their last sixteen runners - and Caradak, 5/4 favourite with bet365 for the The Sportsman Newspaper Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, will enhance that already impressive record further. Make no mistake, this son of Desert Style, who was trained by John Oxx last season before switching to the boys in blue camp during the winter, is an absolute rock-solid banker bet in this Group 2 contest, and he should be backed accordingly - to the tune of maximum stakes! Caradak won with more in hand than the official winning margin when beating Saville Road by half a length in a conditions race over course and distance last month, which was his first outing for over eight months, and will have brought him on a ton. Indeed, the five-year-old has improved for his reappearance markedly over the past two seasons. The entire improved at a rate of knotts last season, completing a hat-trick when beating the very useful Mustameet at Leopardstown, before failing by just a head to repel the remarkable Court Masterpiece in the Group 1 Prix de le Foret at Longchamp in October. All his winning has been done on fast ground, but that effort in France served as a demonstration of his versatility, as the going was soft. Jeremy will prove the most potent threat if he bounces back following a below-par performance in the Betfair Cup at Glorious Goodwood where he was a disappointing sixth behind Iffraaj. However, even on the form of his victory in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot on his penultimate start, the Danehill Dancer colt still has a fair bit to find with Caradak. Etlaala is clearly a talented horse, but he isn't a particularly reliable proposition, as his form figures suggest, and the fact that he has failed to score in eleven attempts at Group company since landing the Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old tells its own story. He's likely to be outclassed. If all eight runners stand their ground, the each-way thieves could do far worse than have each-way punts on Jedburgh and Welsh Emperor, both of whom can be backed at double-figure prices at the time of writing. That duo both handle cut in the ground and Welsh Emperor in particular relishes give underfoot. He might well get his own way up front and should give a good account of himself. Verdict - 5pts Caradak @ 5/4 (bet365)