Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Ascot, Haydock Park, Kempton Park & Stratford.
ASCOT
ASCOT
Race 5 No5 KIPPS ( Each Way)
Trainer: Hughie Morrison – Jockey: Kieren Shoemark
KIPPS hasn’t looked the most resilient in a finish but the goalposts have changed for this Heritage Handicap, in which the grey gets fresh handling from the saddle as well as first time cheek pieces. Placed in all four starts this year, he looked unfortunate not to beat Hukum at Royal Ascot and that form now appears very solid. He also wobbled against Coltrane at York last time, but is worth another chance.
Race 7 No4 BLUE MIST (Nap)
Trainer: Roger Charlton – Jockey: Jason Watson
This is a wickedly competitive handicap but in underfoot conditions that will play to his strengths BLUE MIST is poised for another good run at the track. He looked desperately unlucky in the Wokingham when seeing every door close in front of him, but avenged that defeat when moving up to today’s seven furlongs and taking out a valuable contest here in late July. He travelled like a dream before quickening up stylishly to put the race to bed, a scenario that could easily be repeated even though he’s gone up in the weights.
HAYDOCK PARK
Race 1 No8 WILLIAM BLIGH (Each Way)
Trainer: Ralph Beckett – Jockey: Harry Bentley
WILLIAM BLIGH has acquitted himself well in varying company through the summer but appeals as a colt that will put his best foot forward when there’s some cut in the ground. He revelled in the soft when opening his account at Haydock and was the subject of a wholesale gamble when finishing third to Mark of The Man in a red hot nursery at a Goodwood. And although beating only one home, he was only two and threequarter lengths off the winner Saint Lawrence in a Listed race at Newbury in which he was too free.
Race 4 No8 CAPE COAST (Each Way)
Trainer: Mark Johnston – Jockey: William Buick
Although having to spend some time on the sidelines, CAPE COAST has continued his admirable consistency since coming back onto the racecourse, and rates a solid investment to at least make the frame in this hot handicap in which there will be no quarter given or taken. He chased home Groveman on what was a first outing for more than 1000 days at Thirsk, then grittily staved off the challenge of Ghostwatch to go one better at Newmarket. Now a six-year-old, he has relatively few miles on the clock, and may still be improving.
Race 5 BETFAIR SPRINT CUP ( Group 1)
No2 DREAM OF DREAMS (Nap)
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute – Jockey: Oisin Murphy
DREAM OF DREAMS has been a victim of his own inconsistency in the past, but when romping home in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes was putting together a second excellent effort from as many outings this season. The chestnut was allowed to bowl along by Murphy and never saw another rival, coming home unchallenged in that Newbury contest. The key to him this year is his trainer’s decision to keep him away from other horses on the gallops and to work him alone, and he should handle this drop back to sprinting. The two that loom as big dangers today are ART POWER and GOLDEN HORDE. Art Power left me with egg on my face when totally failing to fire in the Nunthorpe, a run that has perplexed his trainer Tim Easterby. I remain convinced he’s a a Group 1 horse, and should be given berth for a saver. Golden Horde is a Group 1 winner but has looked vulnerable meeting older rivals. HELLO YOUMZAIN goes for back-to- back victories in the race and is going to be touching it out at the business end.
Prediction: 1st DREAM OF DREAMS, 2nd Art Power, 3rd Golden Horde, 4th Hello Youmzain
KEMPTON PARK
Race 2 UNIBOOSTS A DAY SIRENIA STAKES ( Group 3)
No4 MIGHTY GURKHA
Trainer: Archie Watson – Jockey: Adam McNamara
MIGHTY GURKHA has the pick of the draw and can bounce back from an unfortunate experience at Deauville, where he was temporarily left in the stalls while still hooded. He lost all chance in that Group 3, but had earlier run a cracker when chasing home the talented Method in a Listed contest at Newbury. He’s developed into a formidable specimen and could prove hard to peg back, with more question marks against the names of his rivals than his.
Race 3 UNIBET SEPTEMBER STAKES (Group 3)
No1 ENABLE
Trainer : John Gosden – Jockey: Frankie Dettori
The day’s feature gives British racegoers a last chance to see ENABLE on home soil before her date with destiny in a bid for an unprecedented third Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The six-year-old is treading the same route taken to her second Arc triumph in 2018 and faces what amounts to a penalty kick in a ploy Gosden believes will build up her confidence levels for next month’s showdown with Love at Paris-Longchamp. I expect her to justify the long odds laid on her at the main expense of Fox Tal.
Race 4 No3 DINGLE (Nap)
Trainer: Richard Hannon – Jockey: Pat Dobbs
DINGLE stayed on into the money in what looked a hot novice at York last month. It was a notable step up from his first run at Newmarket and the son of Footstepsinthesand can demonstrate by winning this that he’s going to be a more than useful performer in nurseries through the autumn.
STRATFORD
Race 1 No7 SHANTOU EXPRESS
Trainer: Kim Bailey – Jockey: David Bass
This looks one of the best races of its kind run this season but SHANTOU EXPRESS is a horse with the potential to make up for lost time, having run only three times in the last 18 months. He was an impressive winner of a bumper at this venue a year ago and after finishing in the money in a warmer race at Ascot before Christmas went into the sidelines. He’s fit and firing after his enforced break, and has schooled well.
Race 2 No1 SEDDON (Nap)
Trainer: Tom George – Jockey: Adrian Heskin
SEDDON did us a good turn when scoring on his debut over fences at Cartmel last month. He made a sweeping move to swamp his rivals for finishing speed and although burdened with a penalty remains a horse to follow, and to go onto better things.
