2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Tips – DS
2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Preview
Our poor recent run continued unabated at HQ on Friday. To be fair, our first two selections outran their market positions but our NAP Moon Target and NB Minhad were bitterly disappointing. It’s been a while since I’ve had a disastrous spell like this one but things are bound to turn at some stage, hopefully it is tomorrow. Check out my 2025 Newmarket & York Saturday preview below.
1.30 York – Rockingham Stakes (listed)
Rod Millman’s Killavia ran no sort of race when we backed her in the G2 Flying Childers at Doncaster last month but surely she is capable of much better than she showed there.
Back in July she ran a cracker at huge odds to finish a staying on 2.25l third in a 5f Listed race at Sandown before getting off the mark in decisive fashion in a 5f maiden back there later that month, both on good ground.
Those two good runs came when Lewis Edmunds was aboard and he returns to the plate today. On the evidence of her Sandown listed run stepping up to 6f is a plus and I am putting a line through that non-event of a run at Doncaster. At odds of 22/1, Killavia is the each way selection.
2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Killavia e/w @ 22/1 (4 places) nb
1.50 Newmarket – Zetland Stakes (Group 3)
The main purpose of Seamie Heffernan’s trip to Newmarket this weekend is to ride the well-fancied Alphonse Le Grande in the Cesarewitch but he might have picked up a nice ride on Loz Vegas here.
Peter Chapple-Hyam’s son of Lucky Vega ran no race on debut at Ascot (7f, gd-fm) in July but he left that behind when awarded the race in the stewards’ room upped to 1m at Sandown the following month (runner up and fourth have won since).
Last time out he ran in a conditions race at Newbury (1m, gd-sft) and while he finished fifth, he was only 2.5l behind the winner and he was close up behind a couple of horses rated 100+. If you consider the fact he was impeded in the last half-furlong it was a fine effort and on that run, he probably deserves to be rated higher than his mark of 92.
His pedigree suggests that he’s got a decent chance of staying this far and on that Newbury effort, he is well worth trying at this higher level. At odds of 25/1, a small each way interest on Loz Vegas is advised.
2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Loz Vegas e/w @ 25/1
3.00 Newmarket – Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1)
A cracking renewal. Zavateri and Gstaad renew rivalries after their epic battle at the Curragh but the bookies make the commanding last time out C&D G3 winner Distant Storm the 2/1 fav for Appleby and Buick. The key to his win that day was the fact that he settled much better than he did when pulling away his chance when well behind Gewan at York.
I fancy the unbeaten Zavateri to uphold his Irish form with Gstaad and I wouldn’t be at all surprised were he to maintain his unbeaten record. His odds of 4/1 look a shade too big to me and if you fancy him, I wouldn’t put you off.
Bigger Odds
Can anything gatecrash the party at bigger odds? The favourite’s stablemate Saba Desert ran a stinker behind Zavateri and Gstaad at the Curragh but yielding ground may not have been his bag.
Prior to that he made a good impression when winning a 7f maiden on good ground at Sandown and he followed up with a 1.25l win on good to firm in the G2 Superlative Stakes on the July course here. Behind him that day were Italy (third behind Gstaad and Zavateri at the Curragh), Wild Desert (beaten a nose in a Woodbine G1 next time) and Fillies’ Mile runner up Venetian Lace.
Billy Loughnane rides and if you forgive him that last run on account of the ground, he should not be a 28/1 shot here. At the prices, Saba Desert is the each way selection.
2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Saba Desert e/w @ 28/1
3.15 York – Sprint Trophy Handicap (Heritage)
Gweedore was beaten 3.75l in this race on soft ground in 2023. Drawn 14, there was a huge draw bias towards lower drawn horses and he emphatically won the race between those drawn high and he did so off a mark of 100.
He only raced once last year but he has run extremely well in three runs in 2025, including when not beaten that far dropped back to 6f in the Ayr Silver Cup last time. The 8yo son of Epaulette has never actually won over 6f but two of the best runs of his career have come at the trip, including a 0.75l third in the 2023 Ayr Gold Cup.
I’d imagine connections have had this race in mind and this time, he’s rated 9lb lower and he’s been handed a low draw in stall 1. Given my luck lately, the draw bias will probably favour high numbers this time but odds of 28/1 about Gweedore are too big to turn down. Commanche Falls will appreciate the return to better ground too and he is also capable of running a big race.
2025 Newmarket & York Saturday Tip: Gweedore e/w @ 28/1 (6 places) NAP
3.40 Newmarket – Cesarewitch Handicap (Heritage)
This race has not been a happy hunting ground for me over the years. We managed a 66/1 place with Takarengo in 2020 but bar that, it has been exceedingly slim pickings. Last year we backed Bashful Boy and he wasn’t disgraced off a mark of 84, beaten 7l into ninth of 24.
The ground turned softer than ideal for him that day and given the recent weather, I can’t let him go unbacked again, even from 8lb out of the handicap. That is partially negated by Amie Waugh’s 3lb claim and he will effectively be 5lb lower than last year and 4lb lower than when running a massive race in fourth in this in 2023.
His 2m2f Musselburgh run in August showed that the 9yo still retains ability and David Pipe has hopefully targeted this race. Winning is probably beyond him but his stamina is assured, he’ll get his ground and quite a few of these have to prove they stay this far. At odds of 80/1, Bashful Boy is worth chancing e/w for small stakes.
