Maddy Playle's play of the day at Nottingham

Crowd Quake

4.35 Nottingham

Stuart Williams has had an outstanding season with Crowd Quake.

The Newmarket trainer bought the gelding for just 11,000gns last July and this year he's improved 40lb from a basement mark of 46 to 86 after winning seven times, including two valuable Racing League contests.

What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that there is a good chance there is even more to come in Thursday's 1m2f handicap (4.35) at Nottingham, with Crowd Quake finding only the well-backed handicap snip Munsif too strong at Doncaster on his penultimate start when recording a Racing Post Rating of 90.

The fifth-placed runner Best Adventure has a 6lb pull at the weights with him now, but that rival was nearly five lengths behind and did not appear to have any excuses, while Crowd Quake emerged from his most recent run with plenty of credit. 

He was sent off the 5-2 favourite for a decent race at Ayr but lost all chance when he was hampered after the start, with the interference meaning he trailed the field by a considerable distance in the early stages. 

However, he recovered remarkably, slicing through the field late on to finish sixth, just five and a half lengths behind the very smart winner El Burhan, who has subsequently been nudged up to a three-figure rating.

Crowd Quake has won over a mile, 1m2f, 1m3f and 1m4f this season but 1m2f at a galloping track like this should play perfectly to his strengths as he can be ridden aggressively from the front. 

Curiously, Williams has booked Danny Tudhope to ride for the first time. The jockey has ridden a winner from just two rides for the stable this year and five winners from 25 runners for a 20 per cent overall strike-rate. 

Crowd Quake has been on the go a while, but the four-year-old was bred to be very smart and has the potential to be a proper Saturday performer, so he can outclass these opponents if continuing in the same vein of form.

Crowd Quake16:35 Nottingham

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Jky: Daniel Tudhope Tnr: Stuart Williams

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