Southwell (AW) 7:00 Result

Pyramid is the clear class act here. From the powerful Gosden/Juddmonte team, by Kingman out of a Dansili mare, he was second on debut which is rock-solid form for this level, and Juddmonte-bred sorts from this stable often improve markedly for the experience, especially stepping up in trip to 1m3f which should suit his pedigree (Dansili damsire line offers stamina). A near two-month break is not a concern for a horse of this stable's pedigree profile - they often target progressive placement. Roxy Power (Justify colt, Crisford yard, blinkers applied) is the most obvious market rival having also been placed at odds, but he was only 5th and the market may be over-relying on the Godolphin/Crisford angle. Indian Mary (8-5 form) and Kashooda (3-2 form, Andrew Balding, 80 days off) both have solid claims but lack the raw class of a Gosden/Juddmonte second-time-out runner bred for genuine middle-distance improvement. Church Wedding (3-7) for Ralph Beckett, out of a smart German family, is another to note but is unproven and has had within a break too. Given the concentration of unexposed, well-bred maidens, this is a form race where quality shines through - Pyramid's placing and manner of running as a well-fancied debutant, plus the stable's strong record with new signals at this level, gives him the best each-way and win claims. He looks capable of finding significant improvement for the run and the step up to 1m3f, making him the value approach relative to what will likely be a well-backed contender.