'This could be right up his street' - Maddy has a 33-1 fancy at Newmarket

Titan Rock
3.50 Newmarket, Saturday
1pt each-way at 33-1 with bet365

Titan Rock has been on my radar for a while and, if the cards fall right, Saturday's Bunbury Cup (3.50) could be the ideal opportunity for him to make the breakthrough in a feature handicap.

It goes without saying that there are risks attached. While his rating of 93 would have been sufficient to make the cut in the last four years, it wouldn't have been in the four years before that and he only beat one horse home at Haydock on Saturday.

However, that doesn't tell the whole story. He has always been highly regarded by connections – he came from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2019 – and looked full of talent when winning on his second start at Goodwood.

A highly strung sort, he has taken time to learn to race but still managed to win twice in his three-year-old season, the second victory coming off just a 3lb lower mark at Ayr in September.

That was an impressive success, with decent handicappers like Asad (now 3lb higher) and Wobwobwob behind, but then he wasn't seen for 266 days. During that time he had a wind operation, which should help him finish out his races better.

Titan Rock returned with a highly encouraging effort at York last month when a running-on fourth to the progressive Lion Tower, showing no ill-effects from his break and suggesting he was a four-year-old with much more to offer.

With connections indicating he is best on fast ground, it wasn't surprising to see him finishing out the back at Haydock on Saturday, but if you watch the replay you will notice he travelled ominously before cutting out and wasn't knocked about thereafter.

That clearly wasn't representative of what he can do – RPRs of 94, 96, 98 and 95 better illustrate his ability – and the Bunbury Cup, in which he is likely to get a strong pace and lightning-quick ground, could be right up his street.

If he doesn't make the cut put him firmly on your radar for one of the handicaps at York. He has run promisingly there before and his trainer John Quinn and owner Ross Harmon tend to target those races.

Classy Coltrane joins top stayers in Goodwood Cup reckoning

I was so busy with various other duties at Sandown on Friday that it was a challenge to keep track of the racing, but it was almost impossible to ignore just how impressive Coltrane was in winning the Listed Coral Marathon.

The Ascot Stakes winner was stepping down four furlongs in trip and made the most of a searching gallop set by the visored Silence Please. He eased into contention under Rob Hornby and powered ten lengths clear of his rivals at the line despite gearing down.

Coltrane, who won the Melrose Handicap in the style of a highly promising stayer in 2020, is clearly back on track now and took another considerable step forward at Sandown.

A Racing Post Rating of 115 was not only a 6lb increase on what he achieved at Royal Ascot but the best recorded in the Marathon since Cavalryman was successful in 2012.

That winner took the Goodwood Cup two years later and it is the likely next port of call for Mick and Janice Mariscotti's star.

The five-year-old is a 14-1 shot for the Goodwood Cup and should be capable of running another big race on the Sussex Downs given how balanced he looked on Friday and when second in the Chester Cup.

It is hard to argue that is outstanding value, however, as the Gold Cup 1-2-3 look set to renew their rivalry and Trueshan, who won the race last year and put up an outstanding performance in the Northumberland Plate last month, will be back again providing the ground doesn't get too quick.

I know fellow Weekender columnist Tom Segal always likes to look at three-year-olds in the race as they receive a gigantic 15lb weight pull and a pair of Royal Ascot winners fit the bill.

Four-time winner Stradivarius used the Queen's Vase as a springboard to winning his first Goodwood Cup in 2017 and Eldar Eldarov will be bidding to emulate him after his nose success at the royal meeting.

Derby fifth and King Edward VII winner Changingoftheguard was a similarly last-gasp scorer and looks to be crying out for marathon trips now. He will be aiming to do what Santiago couldn't two years ago for team Ballydoyle.

Read this next:

So you think you want to become a bookmaker?

For all our exclusive free bet offers and must-have daily promotions click the free bets button or go to racingpost.com/freebets