Craven Meeting: The best-backed horses for Day 1 at Newmarket as the Flat is back with a bang

THE FLAT is back, so they say.

Day 1 of the Craven meeting gets underway this afternoon and there's plenty of potential on show. Here's the best-backed horses for Tuesday and where the shrewd money is going.

Shine So Bright – 2.25  (11-4)

Shine So Bright has been in fine form since moving to Andrew Balding, finishing third in the Mill Free Stakes and running very close in the Gimcrack and the Richmond last season.

Silvestre De Sousa is on board for the first time and is fancied over the favourite 13-8 Azano.

According to Oddschecker, 18% of all bets in the race have backed the De Sousa hope and they'll be hoping the blooming King Power-De Sousa relationship continues to blossom.

Western Australia – 3.00  (17-10)

Western Australia sets the standard here, and with the talented Ryan Moore on board is the one to beat according to punters and bookies alike.

The three-year-old was unlucky not to win the Patton Stakes at Dundalk last month but that run will have shaken off any cobwebs.

The rest of the field will have to show plenty of improvement to challenge.

Western Australia has dominated the betting, with 34% of all bets on Oddschecker.

Maqsad – 1.15 Newmarket (6-4)

Maqsad was a big disappointment last time out in October at Yarmouth when beaten at odds-on favourite, but the young filly still has bags of potential and is fancied to bounce back today. Twist 'N' Shake is the obvious danger as John Gosden has won this event three of the last four years but has drifted out since the markets opened.

Maqsad has attracted 36% of all bets in the race through Oddschecker.

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