ITV Racing Saturday Tips and Preview by Dave Stevos
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: York and Newmarket
We had to make do with a trio of places on Friday, but at least they were all big prices. Mother Earth (eventually) at 25/1, Tritonic at 20/1 and the well backed Young Fire (adv 28/1) all rewarded e/w support. Unfortunately Bronze River was too keen early and had no chance. Highland Chief and Petrastar were both very disappointing too. Let’s hope for a winnner at either York or Newmarket tomorrow (preferably both!). Check out Dave Stevos’ ITV Racing Saturday Tips below…
Newmarket Saturday: 1.45pm – Zetland Stakes (Group 3)
The 10f Zetland Stakes opens the show on ITV this Saturday. A field of eight 2yos will battle it out for this Group 3 prize. The once raced Kyprios heads the market for O’Brien and Moore after a heavy ground Galway maiden win (8.5f). That form hasn’t really worked out and this colt will need to improve for this step up in trip. Given that he is a full brother to dual Irish Leger winner Search For A Song, you would think that he will benefit for the extra distance today. Soft ground holds no fears either and Kyprios will have plenty of supporters at around 7/4.
One that could go well at a price in this is Babindi for Haggas and Marquand. This filly remains a maiden after two starts but she was a big eye catcher last time. Held up and wide coming into the straight, this filly looked like she was going to finish well beaten. However, when they moved past the furlong pole the penny finally dropped and she kept on very nicely close to home for 4th. She is by Frankel so stamina won’t be an issue and she is a half sister to a multiple soft ground winner. There could be lots more to come from Babindi on just her 3rd start and she is the e/w pick at 20/1.
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: Babindi e/w @ 20/1
York Saturday: 2.00pm – Rockingham Stakes (Listed)
Another 2yo race, this time a 6f Listed sprint at York, and it looks a trappy heat. The one I fancy in this is Blackrod for Dods and Mulrennan. This twice raced son of Mayson earned a rating of 88 for his facile win at Hamilton (6f gd/sft). He also showed plenty on his debut at Newcastle over the same trip, chasing home subsequent G2 runner up, Fivethousandtoone.
The form of his Hamilton win looks decent too. The horse behind him had previously finished 3rd behind Happy Romance in the big sales race at York and is rated 88. Mulrennan had to get serious on him around 2f out but once he got him rolling he pulled clear and won eased down. I think a strongly run contest will bring out the best in this fella and that should be the case in this. At odds of 6/1 Blackrod is the each way selection.
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: Blackrod e/w @ 6/1
Newmarket Saturday: 2.20pm – Autumn Stakes (Group 3)
Yet another one for the 2yos, this time over a distance of a mile. A total of 10 go to post and One Ruler and Van Gogh head the market. One Ruler was defeated in a Listed heat last time (7f) while Van Gogh won a maiden after a couple of good runs in stakes company. Neither horse has run well on soft ground before. One Ruler is unraced on softer than good while Van Gogh ran poorly his only try on it.
The one horse that is proven on easy ground in this contest is William Bligh. Ralph Beckett’s string continues in fine form and this fella has run alright in Listed company the last twice. He was beat 2L over 7f at Newbury and then last time he went down by 4L at Haydock on soft. That was his first run at a mile and it was a solid effort. With a rating of 96 he hasn’t a huge amount to find to get involved and his affinity for soft ground could be crucial. You can get 33/1 and at those odds, William Bligh is worth backing e/w.
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: William Bligh e/w @ 33/1
York: 2.35pm – Coral Handicap (Class 2)
13 horses will compete for this 10.5f class 2 handicap. Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan teamed up to pull off a shock at York on Friday and they go again with Nicholas T here. I have a real soft spot for this horse and he is starting to look well handicapped. He won on his seasonal return off 96 at Ayr and after a number of below par runs, the assessor has dropped him to 92. He caught the eye when staying on well over a mile last time at Haydock and stepping back up to this trip might suit.
This son of Rail Link usually saves his very best for Ayr. 7 of his 8 wins came at the track and he has yet to win at York. However, he has run some decent races here in valuable handicaps and he would need to be winning to have any chance of sneaking into the Balmoral at Ascot next week. He has won on soft, he should get a decent pace to aim at and granted luck in running, Nicholas T could run well at a massive price.
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: Nicholas T e/w @ 33/1 (4 Places)
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: 2.55pm – Darley Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1)
Jim Bolger won the Dewhurst 5 times in 7 years between 2006 and 2012. Teofilo, New Approach and the sire of today’s runner Dawn Approach were among the winners for him, a seriously classy bunch of horses. Today he relies on Poetic Flare, a winner of his only start at Naas back in March. This horse has not run since but it was a taking performance and importantly, he proved he handled testing ground.
He is closely related to the Listed winner Glamorous Approach and this is a family Bolger knows well. It was only 5f when he won at Naas but he looks sure to relish the 7f trip today on pedigree. We have to take his well being on trust but Bolger would not be travelling over unless he believed this horse had a chance. Kevin Manning rides and at odds of 28/1 Poetic Flare is the e/w pick.
Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Poetic Flare e/w @ 28/1 (4 Places)
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: 3.10pm – Sprint Trophy Handicap (Class 2)
A big field of 22 sprinters will charge down the Knavesmire for this valuable 6f handicap. Off a mark of 97, Laugh A Minute could land another big pot for Ado McGuinness in this. He finally showed signs of returning to form last time at the Curragh when a length behind Mr Lupton off 95. He is now 2lb higher off 97 but Mr Lupton went up 5lb for that effort so a 3lb swing could be enough for the McGuinness horse to turn the tables.
Another cause for optimism for Laugh A Minute’s backers is the soft ground. He has some top class form on easy ground in the book, including A G3 2nd in France and a fine 4th in a Listed heat behind Donjuan Triumphant. The son of Mayson showed up well for a long way on his last soft ground start over 7f at Galway. However, he is best over 6f and with conditions to suit and David Egan on board, Laugh A Minute is a confident e/w selection.
ITV Racing Saturday Tips: Laugh A Minute e/w @ 16/1 NB (5 Places)
Newmarket 3.35pm – Cesarewitch Handicap (Class 2)
Today’s each way NAP of the day goes in the Cesarewitch. Tom Mullins trains Takarengo and I think he has a serious chance in this. A 4yo son of Battle Of Marengo, Takarengo has not had the best of seasons. He showed huge potential when sluicing up in a decent 12f contest at Leopardstown last season on very testing ground. His trainer nominated him as a stayer to follow after that run and he was campaigned ambitiously.
Things haven’t gone to plan since, but he did run a very nice race in the 17f race won by Princess Zoe at Galway. He only finished 5L behind her, even if he did finish 10th. He is better when ridden with more patience than he was that day, just like at Killarney last time. David Mullins gave him a very tender ride over 11f but he stayed on very strongly once he actually got him rolling. He sneaks in here off a mark of 80 and John Egan rides. With just 8 stone on his back and ground to suit, Takarengo looks a cracking e/w bet at 50/1.
