Don't be folly - lump on Lodge

July 21, 2007 - Paul McLeod Forget her last run as she was drawn on the 'wrong' side of the course and back the Barry Hills-trained Folly Lodge, a best-priced 89/10 with Bet Chronicle, in this afternoon's Coolus Air Conditioning Handicap at Newmarket (3.05).
 
The daughter of Grand Lodge was sent off as co-favourite for a mightily competitive heat over seven furlongs here at the July meeting, but could never land a blow from a disadvantageous draw and jockey Michael Hills excepted her fate some way out and, consequently, she didn't have a hard race at all.
 
The selection was most impressive on her penultimate start and seasonal reappearance when coming from off the pace to beat useful yardstick Whazzis by a length and a half at Newbury, a race she won with far more in hand than the official winning margin might suggest.
 
Folly Lodge was doing all her best work in the closing stages when scoring at the Berkshire venue, an effort which suggests that today's extra furlong will not be a problem. The good going at Newmarket will be fine and I expect her to arrive late and fast to score, perhaps at the chief expense of Escape Route.
 
The latter was a desperately unlucky loser on the Polytrack at Lingfield when last seen out in May. She was backed off the boards that day and really should have landed the odds but, as is so often the case at that Surrey track, John Gosden's charge encountered traffic problems and when daylight arrived it was all too late.
 
Escape Route is probably the one to beat on her third behind the Phoenix Tower at Newbury in April. However, that was on a fast surface and his US pedigree raises doubts with regard to the easier surface he'll encounter this afternoon, which tempers my enthusiasm where the favourite is concerned.
 
Classira and Paceman both come into this race on the back of victories and merit respect, but best of the rest looks to be Al Khaleej, who made a thoroughly pleasing reappearance in a competitive handicap at Goodwood where he chased home Mr Aviator.
 
The son of Sakhee won't be inconvenienced by any juice in the ground and shapes as though stepping up a furlong to a mile will be in his favour, while he's far from exposed so his current handicap mark is far from prohibitive. Like Escape Route, he has leading form claims, but I reckon both will find Folly Lodge's turn of foot too hot to handle. 
 
Verdict: 1pt Folly Lodge @ 89/10 (Bet Chronicle)

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