Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Newmarket, Ascot, Salisbury, and Newcastle. This includes his video analysis from Day 3 of the Newmarket July Cup meeting and the Bunbury Cup Handicap!
NEWMARKET
Race 1: No2 – YURI GAGARIN
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Dual all-weather scorer YURI GAGARIN can reach for the stars in the opener and remain unbeaten on his first outing on grass. The gelded son of Sea The Moon has impressed at Newcastle and then when returning from a six-month break at Lingfield. He’s a lot less exposed than his rivals and should make it a good start for favourite backers.
Race 6: No8 – SEVENTH KINGDOM (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: David Egan
SEVENTH KINGDOM looked a bit special when scoring by a wide margin on his Doncaster debut last month. The Frankel colt oozed class in his four lengths defeat of Longlai, and being out of a Cape Cross mare won’t mind any cut in the ground. He can take this step into a Group 2 in his stride.
July Cup
Race 7: No13 – THREAT
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
The highlight of the July Festival sees Golden Horde setting the standard after powering home in the Commonwealth Cup on his seasonal return. The son of Lethal Force dominated the finish of that Group 1 and has delighted trainer Clive Cox in his subsequent work. He has a good chance of following in the hoof prints of his sire who reached a career peak in this and was also trained by Cox. Hello Youmzain dished out a similarly pleasing display over Ascot’s straight-six furlongs to trump Dream Of Dreams in the Diamond Jubilee and will be a danger to all, especially if the ground softens any more. His career-best effort came in the heavy when landing the Sprint Cup at Haydock. But the one that could spoil the party is THREAT, winner of the Gimcrack and Champagne Stakes last year and who ran like a nonstayer when out of the money in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Picking the bones out of that, the colt cruised into a challenging position early in the straight before his stamina gave out which makes this move into the sprint spectrum a logical one. He’s the apple of Richard Hannon’s eye and without question the joker in this Group 1 pack.
Bunbury Cup Handicap
Race 8: No8 – SPANISH CITY (Each Way)
Trainer: Roger Varian – Jockey: David Egan
According to Varian, SPANISH CITY has a good handicap in him and this looks like a fine opportunity for the grey to take one out. In the corresponding race 12 months ago the grey was beaten just a length and a quarter into fourth by Vale Of Kent and there was a great deal to like about the way he shaped to finish third to Hey Jonesy in the Wokingham, doing his best work in the closing stages. He’s probably more effective over seven furlongs and should be at his peak after that first run back.
ASCOT
Race 1: No1 – ROMMEL
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Tom Marquand
ROMMEL carries a 7lb penalty in this novice auction stakes picked up for landing a weak race at Lingfield. While that doesn’t make things entirely straightforward for him, the Helmet colt has the points on the board from the point of view of experience and will relish this move onto grass. He looked focussed and asserted well in his winding-up gallop on grass earlier in the week.
Summer Mile
Race 6: No3 DUKE OF HAZZARD (Each Way)
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: David Probert
This is a fascinating Group 2 in which it’s hard to eliminate any of the 11 contenders. Mohaather is going to attract plenty of interest in the betting market after looking unlucky in running in the Queen Anne while Marie’s Diamond belied her 40-1 odds to finish third to Circus Maximus in that Royal Ascot contest. Further adrift were Skardu and DUKE OF HAZZARD but it’s the last-named horse that interests me most. He was hung out wide for much of the journey and didn’t acquire the cover necessary for him to produce a turn of foot at the end of such a strongly-contested race. He could also improve for the run, and is going to represent big double-figure price value.
Race 8: No3 – SLY MINX (Nap)
Trainer: Mick Channon – Jockey: Tom Marquand
The flashy SLY MINX hacked up in an admittedly weak maiden at CATTERICK last week and can show her appreciation of similarly easy conditions to follow up on this handicap debut. She can end the impressive winning sequence of Alphabetical.
SALISBURY
Race 4: No8 – AMERICAN ENTENTE (Nap)
Trainer: John Gosden – Jockey: Martin Harley
War Front filly AMERICAN ENTENTE is the subject of favourable reports from Newmarket and could take some stopping on this racecourse debut. There’s also a positive vibe for fellow newcomer Tinker Toy, while of those that have public form Ethics Approval should take home a cheque.
Race 5: No9 – SYCAMORE
Trainer: Martyn Meade – Jockey: George Wood
Anjah and Baashir both ran well in defeat last time and should dominate market exchanges in this novice stakes, but the unknown appeal of SYCAMORE could be worth paying to find out about. The Kingman colt has shown plenty at home.
Race 6: No2 – HIGH COMMISSIONER
Trainer: Paul Cole – Jockey: Joshua Bryan
While lacking a change of gear at the end of his races, HIGH COMMISSIONER may be good enough to belatedly open his account in this stayers’ handicap. The son of Australia was beaten less than a length when fourth in a blanket finish at Kempton. He’s a gross individual and should improve for that satisfactory comeback run on Polytrack.
NEWCASTLE
Race 2: No5 – NIGHT OF ROMANCE (Nap)
Trainer: Karl Burke – Jockey: C Lee
NIGHT OF ROMANCE went down by a narrow margin to Rumaythah on her introduction at Redcar and will know more this time. She’s worked well on a similar artificial surface at home and can prove too strong for Magisterium.
Race 3: No11 – LISTEN AGAIN
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: David Allan
One of a brace of fillies that are opposed by nine colts and geldings, LISTEN AGAIN has the wherewithal to take out this maiden on her second career start. By the emerging sire Make Believe, she belied her lengthy odds to place on debut at Pontefract and will now be more streetwise.
