Hi all,
ITV Racing are covering seven races from Newbury & Newmarket on Saturday. The feature race on the Newbury card is the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes over 7f.
On Sunday ITV Racing are broadcasting four races from Newbury and three from Ripon. The highlight of the Ripon card is the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap. However, the biggest race of the weekend takes place over the English Channel at Deauville with latest running of the Group 1 Prix Jacques Marois.
Hard to know what the weather will do tomorrow at the various racecourses around the country. If they get the heavy storms it will become very testing and if the they stay away then the going will be on the quick side.
Not the best of Saturday’s but we are on the eve of the Ebor Festival so it’s not too surprising.
Newbury
1:50 – Denford Stakes (Listed Race) (Formerly The Washington Singer Stakes) -7f
Four of the seven declared runners won on their racecourse debut last time.
Guru, trained by John Gosden, won over C&D 28-days ago. He wasn’t subjected to too hard a race that day. Open to plenty of progress and is potentially a smart prospect in the making.
Dhahabi a son of Frankel and half-brother to Golden Horn, is bred to be a Champion and he cost 3,100,000 gns as a yearling. Made an encouraging racecourse debut when winning a Newmarket maiden three weeks ago and is another with more improvement to come.
Jumby only cost45,000gns as a yearling but he’s shown he possesses plenty of ability when winning at Ascot 35-days ago. The Ascot win came in a good time and more can be expected from the colt today.
Francesco Guardi cost connections 200,000gns as a yearling. The son of Frankel looked a potentially smart colt when making a winning racecourse debut at Salisbury 35-days ago. His inexperience showed in the early stages but he came home strongly to win and can’t be totally dismissed.
Verdict: A fascinating race.Guru & Dhahabi are from top connections and are priced accordingly and it might be worth taking them on with the equally promising Jumby & Francesco Guardi.
1pt win – Jumby – 9/2 @ Bet365
2:25 – Unibet You’re On Handicap – 1m
Tempus is lightly raced for his age, just the for starts. Makes his seasonal return but did win first time out last year and should enjoy the rain softened ground. Remains capable of more improvement.
Afaak won last year’s Royal Hunt Cup off today’s mark. Ground versatile and back to his best when running a cracker to finish 3rd of 14 in the Golden Mile at Goodwood 15-days ago. The choice of Jim Crawley and looks set to go close.
Jahbath another lightly raced 4-year old. Four wins on the all-weather and although he hasn’t won on turf yet, he’s only had two starts so remain unexposed on grass. Despite a poor start shaped with promise when 4th of 12 at Haydock 28-days ago. That was his first start for 476-days so he’s entitled to sharper for that run. Capable of winning off this sort of mark but Crowley opts for Afaak.
Verdict: Afaak can be expected to run his race. The lightly raced Tempus and Jahbath could be on a good marks and Tempus should be suited on the going.
1pt win – Jahbath – 13/2 @ Ladbrokes
3:00 – Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Geoffrey Freer Stakes (Group 3) – 1m 5 ½ f
Last year’s runner-up Morando will go close again if the ground is soft or worse. The more testing the going the better he is and looks a worthy market leader.
Alignak won a handicap on the all-weather on his seasonal return and improved further to finish runner-up in Listed race in Haydock last month. Capable of more progress and should be suited today’s step up to 1m 5 ½ f.
Hukum won King George V Stakes Handicap at Royal Ascot on just his third career start and handicap debut. He has plenty to find on ratings with the favourite but has more progression in him and shouldn’t be far away given the 3-year-old allowance he receives.
Verdict: Morando should get his ground but Alignak is open to progression as is Royal Ascot handicap winner Hukum.
1pt win – Hukum – 9/2 @ Ladbrokes & Coral
3:35 – Unibet Hungerford Stakes (Group 2) – 7f
Likely favourite Dream Of Dreams has the best form among the ten runners. However, I think he may prefer a sounder surface and although he looks the most likely winner, I am happy to take him on.
Last year’s winner Glorious Journey must concede 3lb to his nine rivals this time around. He won on soft ground 12 months ago so underfoot conditions won’t be a problem. Will be sharper for his recent run in the Lennox Stakes.
German raider Namos would be an interesting contender should connections bring him over. The 4-year-old won a Group 3 at Dresden over the distance two starts back and wasn’t disgraced when 8th of 12 in the July Cup. A bit of juice in the ground won’t worry this improving colt.
The more rain the better for History Writer. He’s a bit to find with the principals on official ratings but can’t be ruled out a big price.
Verdict: Dream Of Dreams is the one to beat on form but the ease in the ground brings last years winner Glorious Journey into contention. Namos wasn’t disgraced in the July Gup and is an intriguing runner from Germany.
1pt win – Namos – 10/1 @ Bet365
Dundalk
4:15 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Red God” Handicap (Premier Handicap) – 1m 2 ½ f
Probably the most interesting of today’s handicaps either side of the Irish Sea.
Stall 10 could have been better but I like Mythologic here. His sole career win came at Dundalk in March and he remains a 12-race maiden on grass. That said he’s been holding his form well in turf handicaps since racing resumed in Ireland in June. The 3-year-old put in another cracking effort when 4th of 16 in the mile handicap at the Curragh on Sunday. Held up in midfield he was making his effort on the far side when not getting a clear run a furlong out. Once in the clear he was running on strongly to grab 4th. Looks worth another try over 1m 2f and is capable of landing a nice handicap pot before the season is out.
There’s a suspicion that we haven’t seen the best of stablemate Verimli who’s been backed into favoritism on both his starts since moving from France. Takes a big drop in trip but has a good draw in stall 3 if connections decide to opt for a prominent ride with the 4-year-old. First run on the all-weather but had soft ground form when trained in France so if the ground is running as slow as it has been of late, he could be suited by it.
Charcor is a dual C&D winner and was third in this race last year. Not at his best on his last two starts on turf but a return to the all-weather more to his liking. Vulnerable to any improvers in the field but could get into the money again from a handy draw in stall 4.
Verdict: Mythologic caught the eye last weekend at the Curragh and although his draw could be better, he shouldn’t be far away. Stablemate Verimli is better drawn and worthy of consideration dropped back in distance.
1pt each way – Mythologic – 11/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes (paying 4 places 1/5 odds)
1pt win – Verimli – 11/2 – Gen
Cheers
John