Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips by Dave Stevos
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips for ITV4 Live Races
Our 7/2 NAP Antonia De Vega got the job done for us on Friday. Harry Bentley gave her a clever ride and Alpinista never looked like reeling her in. Romola ran another flat race and it wasn’t the penalty that beat her. She was well below her best. There wasn’t enough rain for Zabeel Prince and he was out-speeded by the first three. The Cambridgeshire is the big race of the day tomorrow and Dave Stevos has posted his Newmarket and Haydock Saturday tips for live ITV4 races below…
Newmarket Saturday: 1.50pm – Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2)
The opening race on Cambridgeshire day at HQ is the Royal Lodge. Only 5 are due to go to post for this 2yo Group 2 and nothing can be discounted with confidence. The top rated is New Mandate at 108, while another three are rated 105. Pleasant Man has had just the one run and is the least exposed of the quintet. I have no strong opinion on this race and I’ll be sitting on the fence, no bet.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: No Bet
Haydock Saturday: 2.05pm – Close Brothers Handicap (Class 2)
The ground is good to soft at Haydock for this 8f handicap and one horse that will appreciate a bit of an ease is Milltown Star. This 3yo son of Roderic O’Connor is having just his third start of the season. He ran really well when a close 4th on soft at Goodwood on his comeback (7f) off 100. At Doncaster next time he was beat 5L in 6th over the same trip but it was good ground. He actually kept on pretty well in that contest, shaping as though a mile would suit.
Graham Lee, on board last time, retains the ride and he likely recommended stepping up in trip. The former jump jockey is riding well and he has had 8 winners in the last 2 weeks. His trainer Mick Channon hasn’t had as many winners recently but plenty of his are running well. Milltown Star ran a nice race at Newmarket on his only previous run at today’s trip and off a mark of 99 he could go close here at odds of 10/1.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: Milltown Star e/w @ 10/1
Newmarket Saturday: 2.25pm – Cheveley Park Stakes (Group 1)
A field of 8 are due to go post in this Group 1 for the Juveniles and it is a stacked field. All 8 of them bring decent stakes form into the race and the favourite is the unbeaten Dandalla. Karl Burke trains this talented filly and she is 3/3 so far. She has won a maiden, a Group 3 by 6L and a Group 2 by a head last time out (6f sft) on the July course. The daughter of Dandy Man clearly appreciates an ease and good to soft ground will be perfect for her.
Miss Amulet was snapped up by the Tabors after her win at York when we were on at 16/1. She looks a very classy filly and Ryan Moore takes the ride. She could be the pace angle in this as most of these like to be held up for a run. If Moore can dictate the tempo and kicks off the front she could be very difficult to peg back. However, the one I like each way at a bigger price is Zoetic.
She had Caroline Dale in behind when scoring at Newbury last time, her first try on easy ground. She has already tried 6f, on quicker ground, and she was only a length off Spright who since boosted the form. A bit of cut in the ground will suit and at odds of 28/1 Zoetic looks overpriced. She is the each way selection in a cracking race.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: Zoetic e/w @ 28/1
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday: 2.40pm – Handicap (Class 2)
The one I am interested in for this 5f handicap is Glory Fighter for Iain Jardine and Andrew Mullen. This 4yo son of Kyllachy handles ground ranging from soft to good so conditions will not be an issue. He reeled off two wins in a row off 73 and 78 in August, both at 5f, but he could only manage 9th and 7th on his next two runs. The first of those runs was poor, but he ran much better than his finishing position suggests last time at Doncaster.
He was slow from the gates and Andrew Mullen took longer than ideal to get him rolling. He made up lots of ground in the final furlong though and he was only 1.5L behind the winner. That effort came off 82 in a race just worth £5k to the winner and he is a pound lower now in a race worth just under £25k. That run last time out shows he can still be competitive off his current mark and he is a former C&D winner. Granted a better break, Glory Fighter could run a massive race here. He is the e/w NAP of the day at odds of 14/1.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: Glory Fighter e/w @ 14/1 NAP
Newmarket Saturday: 3.00pm – Middle Park Stakes (Group 1)
The second Group 1 on the menu at Newmarket on Saturday is another Juvenile contest. A field of 8 are due to go to post and Irish raider Lucky Vega heads the market. Rated 117, he is already a G1 winner over 6f and he wasn’t far behind the winner over 7f last time. The son of Lope De Vega endured a luckless passage that day and he was unlucky not to finish closer. Good to soft ground is fine and he has a favourite’s chance.
Method is untried at this level but he won a Listed race doing handstands last time at Newbury. The runner up that day won a G3 since, while the horse he beat by 4L on debut Fev Rover went on to win a G2 in France. It looks seriously good form and he deserves his chance in this race. Minzaal is another on a three timer and he was ultra-impressive at York. Easy ground would be an unknown for him and he won’t want soft in the ground description.
Murphy’s Charge Overpriced
The one that looks really interesting at massive odds dropping back to 6f is Charterhouse. He is from an unfashionable yard which probably explains his inflated odds but make no mistake, John Murphy knows the time of day and is no mug. By Charming Thought, this colt has yet to run a bad race. Purchased by his current owner after a superb effort at 66/1 on debut, he then ran a blinder in the G3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown when 4th (Champagne Stakes 3rd State Of Rest behind).
A facile 7f win in a Curragh maiden followed and he was stepped back into G1 company last time. He ran a huge race behind Thunder Moon (7f gd) and with a furlong to go he was bang there with the principals. He faded inside the closing stages to finish 6th, beat 5L for the win and 2.5L behind Lucky Vega. Dropping back to 6f looks like the right move on that evidence and while winning may be beyond him, I think Charterhouse could well outrun his odds of 80/1. A small each way interest is the order of the day.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: Charterhouse e/w @ 80/1
Curragh Saturday: 3.15pm – Beresford Stakes (Group 2)
We get a treat from Ireland on Saturday on ITV4, the Group 2 Beresford Stakes. Yet another one for the 2yos, a decent sized field of 13 line up in the stalls. The ground is yielding so you’ll need one that can handle a bit of cut. We backed Ides of August last time out at Leopardstown and while he was beat 8L, he shaped much better than that. He finished behind his stablemate Reve Du Vol, who re-opposes here, and I think he can turn the form around.
Although the ground at Leopardstown was described as good when he won there, the time suggested the ground was easier than that. This ground should be absolutely fine for him and he proved he had the stamina for today’s trip by the way he stayed on at the finish last time out. Keane keeps the faith and he is riding out of his skin. Odds of 11/1 look more than fair and with 4 places on offer, Ides Of August is the e/w pick.
Newmarket and Haydock Saturday Tips: Ides Of August e/w @ 11/1 NB (4 Places)
Newmarket 3.35pm – Cambridgeshire Handicap (Class 2)
A 9f battle charge that has attracted a total of 29 runners. Some bookies are paying up to 8 places so make sure to take full advantage. Since 2008 9 of the 12 runners have had high draws so it might pay to focus on those drawn 15 or higher. The one I am taking a chance on in this is Majestic Dawn for the Coles and Paul Hanagan from stall 25. This 4yo son of Dawn Approach is at his best on ground with a slight ease and he gets his ideal conditions today.
He ran a huge race in this last season behind Lord North off a mark of 89 (9f gd). He finished 5th, just over 5L behind the winner. On his next start he won at Nottingham off the same rating and he then finished off the season by finishing a solid 3rd here off 94. He admittedly ran poorly on his seasonal return at Kempton but he is much better on turf. It was likely a pipe opener in any case to put him right for a repeat bid in the Cambridgeshire. You can get 33/1 about this fella for 8 places and he is the each way pick.
