Saturday's Meetings Navan Flat 8 Races 1:20-5:25p.m. Newmarket Flat 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Wexford N/H 6 Races 1:40-5:45p.m. Newbury Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:15p.m. Thirsk Flat 8 Races 2:00-6:02p.m. Bangor-on-Dee(E) N/H 6 Races 3:55-6:50p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 8 Races 4:57-8:50p.m. Uttoxeter(E) N/H 7 Races 5:20-8:33p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Finished one place behind ECONOMICS in a Newmarket back end maiden last year that has been working out very well. Definitely worth a look at the price.
No disrespect to His Majesty but I would not be having the King’s Shilling on Desert Hero in the opening Aston Park Stakes at odds-on. The following Carnarvon Stakes (2:25) looks to feature the bet of the day. Several of the outsiders look very easy to discount. Action Point has been running at about this level but was only eighth of ten last time in a Chantilly Group 3 and is hard to fancy today. Inishfallen was stone last in an Ascot Group 3 on his reappearance and only has one career win on the kitty litter last term. His second in the Solario over seven reads well but he may not have trained on and Adaay in Devon was second in the Ascot race and would make more appeal here. Richard Fahey’s Malc boasts a second in the Norfolk but this would be a bit of an ask on seasonal bow and he was well beaten on his one attempt at this trip. Louis Barthas only has one start to his name on the kitty litter and does not look likely to be running for any other reason than to find out if he is any good. Ralph Beckett’s Queen Of Mougins missed the break and was only sixth at Chelmsford a couple of weeks ago; however, she did finish fourth in a Group 3 last year where Symbology was seventh but both those fillies might find a couple too good today. Dawn Charger is penalised for her Chantilly Group 3 win last year (Action Point fourth) and finished second in a Group 2 there with Inishfallen behind but it is noticeable that Clifford Lee has chosen the stable’s other runner Elite Status, who was third in the Norfolk (Malc second) sandwiched between his three career wins and is not without a chance if fit enough. Pocklington makes his turf debut after winning twice on the kitty litter, including turning over a hot-pot but the bare form is no indication if he is good enough on a change of surface. Three of the field today contested the Greenham and now drop a furlong: Room Service won a valuable sales race as a juvenile but probably did not stay while Mister Sketch finished one place ahead in sixth and drops back to the course and distance of his Mill Reef second but perhaps wants easy ground. James’s Delight only beat two home but subsequently won a handicap at HQ over this trip off top weight so looks worth another chance at this level but the one they all have to beat is RELIEF RALLY. She was second in the Queen Mary, won the Super Sprint and then the Lowther over this trip before finishing fourth in the Fred Darling when favourite a month ago. Clearly they have decided to drop back to sprinting and my guess is that this is a warm up for the Royal meeting.
The Group-1, Class-1, Lockinge Stakes at Newbury (15:35) over the straight mile on good ground. is certainly a hot affair with a few of the 10-runners in with a real chance of winning. Without further ado, selection is the Fastnet Rock gelding, Poker Face, (Damsire:: Galileo), who is in with a squeak of gaining a podium finish, at least. James Doyle rides for the S & E Crisford yard. 9/1 freely-available early-doors, on the ATR site. E/W best option.
I do not think that the Lockinge Stakes (3:35) is as straightforward as the betting might suggest. Dear My Friend has been winning on the kitty litter but it is two years since his last turf win and he has run over a variety of trips including when second last in The Derby. He has no realistic chance today with his 113 rating coming from winning a handicap off topweight at Lingfield. It is hard to make a case for Audience, who won the seven furlong Criterion on his 2023 return but was runner up twice and third in three attempts at Group 2 level at that trip. It would be a surprise if he featured on his first attempt at a mile at the top level but he is a front runner and I suspect, therefore, a pacemaker. Flight Plan ended his 2023 campaign with victory in a Leopardstown Group 2, where he made all the running. His front running style of racing suggests that there might be competition for the lead with Audience today but it is hard to fancy him at the top level on his seasonal bow and when he was second in a Pontefract Listed race, Witch Hunter was behind but Poker Face won. Last year’s Classics are represented by Royal Scotsman and Hi Royal. After finishing second in the Dewhurst as a juvenile, Royal Scotsman was third in the 2000 Guineas but ran poorly in the Irish 2000 and the St James’s Palace and has not been seen since, so questions about him need to be answered started out here. Hi Royal was second in the Guineas and then third at The Curragh, so appears to hold Royal Scotsman on those lines of form. He has race fitness thanks to a third in the Earl of Sefton; however, his last two three year old starts give him no chance with the two favourites here: he was well beaten when Inspiral beat Big Rock in the Prix Jacques le Marois and was last when Big Rock won the Queen Elizabeth II. There is no doubt that the best horse in the race is Inspiral. She beat Big Rock in the Jacques le Marois and ended her campaign with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf but she was beaten in the Queen Anne on her first start of 2023. Clearly Audience is here to make sure there is no dawdling but the form of the Gosden yard is a big concern, especially the distaff runners. At York this week, Free Wind was thrashed by a clearly improving filly and Friendly Soul never went a yard in the Musidora. So I think the Gosden stable star is opposable today. Big Rock made all the running to win the Queen Elizabeth II when last seen and that earned him the top mile rating of 127 in the world rankings. He will not get an uncontested lead today (might be a lot of pace) and I had to Google his new trainer as I had never heard of Maurizio Guarnieri, who also has Blue Rose Cen in his yard having left Christophe Head. Other than his wins on the Chantilly kitty litter, he has never won on ground officially described as better than good to soft and we know that the ground has pretty much always gone on Champions’ Day when he stole the QEII. So I think he is definitely opposable and I would rather have Inspiral of the two big guns. Of those coming here race fit, three of them met at Sandown in the Sandown Mile. Witch Hunter was well beaten that day, subsequently was only third in a seven furlong Listed race and has never won beyond seven. The first two at Sandown were CHARYN and Poker Face. The latter had a 3lb penalty for his Prix Daniel Wildenstein victory so there will be little between them today at levels. CHARYN was third in the St James’s Palace (just behind Guineas winner Chaldean, Royal Scotsman eighth) and the Sussex (Inspiral last) as a three year old so he has form at this level and I am going with him to cause a bit of an upset.
