Neil Morrice brings you all of his best bets and tips from Saturday’s racing from Goodwood, Beverly, Windsor and Newmarket.
GOODWOOD
Race 2 Tote Prestige Stakes (Group 3)
No4 HELLO YOU
Trainer: David Loughnane – Jockey: Rossa Ryan
This looks a wide open renewal of a fillies’ only race run round one bend into the home straight, and the one that catches my eye is HELLO YOU. The daughter of Invincible Spirit wasn’t disgraced on debut for her trainer when just out of the money in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York. The hood that helped take the gas out of her in the preliminaries is retained, while she is in a good spot breaking from the rail.
Race 4 tote March Stakes (Group 3)
No4 NAGANO (Nap)
Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey: David Egan
NAGANO probably ran in his last handicap when taking out a Class 2 at the big meeting here and now needs to show he’s Group class. The gelding met with traffic in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, while when beating Siskany on his latest start showed how unlucky he’d been. He’s very well regarded by his trainer.
Race 5 tote Celebration Mile (Group 2)
No2 DUKE OF HAZZARD (Each Way)
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: James Doyle
The day’s feature could see a minor shock, with DUKE OF HAZZARD the value pick for a race he won as a three-year-old two years ago. While winless in 2020, he ran his best race in the Lennox Stakes here, and this season served notice that he’s still a force by placing in Group 3s at Epsom, Newmarket and York. This looks an open renewal, and he has more going for him than most of them.
BEVERLEY
Race 1 No5 BARN OWL
Trainer: Roger Charlton – Jockey: PJ McDonald
The valuable Silver Cup can see BARN OWL in full flight at the business end, raising his game in first-time cheekpieces to cap what’s been a profitable campaign with two near-misses since he embarked down the handicap route. The Frankel colt enjoyed stepping up to this mile and a half when beating all but Chalk Stream at Ripon and should have more to offer.
Race 2 No2 KISSING (Nap)
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: Clifford Lee
A victory for KISSING wouldn’t be the greatest shock, granted the Showcasing filly attracted late support and still looked green on her latest start at Windsor. While I’m alert that this third outing will afford her a handicap mark, she has the ability to win now that she’s more streetwise.
Race 3 No9 SIGNIFICANTLY (Each Way)
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: Clifford Lee
Royal Ascot scorer SIGNIFICANTLY has been a fine servant to her connections and can take home a big cheque in the ‘Beverley Bullet’. Since that Palace Of Holyroodhouse triumph, she’s maintained a rich vein for form, following-up at the same course, and although put in her place by Mountain Peak on a third Ascot run in as many starts, she’s likely to enjoy a first visit to this equally stiff track.
WINDSOR
Race 4 No4 FOX TAL
Trainer: Andrew Balding – Jockey: David Probert
FOX TAL has troubled the judge in two Group 3s and generally held his form well throughout the current campaign. While he’s not easy to win with he must have a solid chance of opening his account for the season, with Desert Encounter a standout threat, granted his knack of rediscovering his best form at this time of year.
Race 5 Sytner BMW Sunningdale & Maidenhead Winter Hill Stakes (Group 3)
No3 SOLID STONE (Nap)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Richard Kingscote
First-time cheekpieces may assist SOLID STONE to take out the most prestigious race run at this course. The Shamardal gelding scored here in the spring and hasn’t done anything wrong in three subsequent outings, placing in a Group 3 (behind Megallan) at Salisbury last time. It would be no surprise to see his jockey try to dominate in a four-runner affair that is certain to become tactical.
Race 7 No9 LISDARRAGH
Trainer: Denis Coakley – Jockey: Harry Burns
LISDARRAGH knows his way round this figure-of-eight course where he scored back in June and has finished second on his latest two outings. He is more likely to run up to the best of his form than any of his rivals.
Place Accumulater Perm (Races 1-7)
5, 7 x 9, 2, 6 x 4, 3 x 4, 2 x 3 x 3, 1 x 9, 7
R96
PUNTERS CHALLENGE BEST BETS
NEWMARKET SATURDAY
Race 2 No3 CHIEFOFCHIEFS (Each Way)
Trainer: Charlie Fellowes – Jockey: Hayley Turner
The featured Hopeful Stakes can fall to old man of the party CHIEFOFCHIEFS, who is proven at Listed level and gave out hope that he is on the cusp of a winning breakthrough when fifth to Commanche Falls in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood. The eight-year-old has been around the block a few times but seems as good as ever based on that length and a half defeat in one of the hottest sprint handicaps in the calendar.
Race 3 No4 RUN TO FREEDOM (Nap)
Trainer: Henry Candy – Jockey: Dane O’Neill
It’s doubtful we’ve seen the best of RUN TO FREEDOM, who after an encouraging first run back has failed to menace but come back with excuses. The Muhaarar colt missed the break on second start at Sandown and was all at sea at Glorious Goodwood in a hot Class2. It’s probably best to draw a line through that run, and hope he can dominate in this smaller field.
Race 5 No7 BAGUE D’OR
Trainer: Chris Wall – Jockey: Andrea Atzeni
Getting weight from all six of his rivals, BAGUE D’OR makes considerable sense as a lightly-raced improver. He’s looked more the finished article since going handicapping this year, scoring on reappearance at Yarmouth only to find multiple winner Boltaway his master at Doncaster. Heavily supported that day, he can show that the losses were merely lent.
