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Eight races this afternoon are to be televised by the ITV team with five coming from the home of racing at Newmarket for their first day (of three) Guineas meeting where the ground is currently riding good whilst they are a trio of races from Goodwood where they will be racing on soft (but drying) ground. Here are my Friday ITV Racing Tips.
Newmarket 13:15
Today’s televised action kicks off with an eight-runner 10F listed Newmarket Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings. The best piece of form is held by Ralph Beckett’s Salt Bay who is one of four in this field that holds the Epsom Derby entry next month. This is his reappearance having stepped up from winning a Haydock maiden on his debut to finishing 3rd in a Group 1 in France on heavy ground last backend. His biggest threat may come from the James Ferguson-trained Like A Tiger who was a mightily impressive winner of a handicap at the Craven meeting. He is however rated 10lb inferior to Salt Bay and has a pronounced round action so may prefer much softer ground.
Charlie Appleby saddles a brace of runners with stable number one William Buick apparently picking Castle Way over Victory Dance and with a Dante entry can be competitive here. Sir Michael Stoute has had an excellent start to the season and sends Circle Of Fire who is owned by The King & Queen Consort. Impressive when winning at Salisbury last September he is still in the Derby and he’s one to keep an eye on.
An intriguing race which will be well worth following in the coming months with the best form held by Salt Bay and he looks the most likeliest winner here.
SALT BAY 1 point win @ 10/3 with William Hill
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Goodwood 13:30
A surprising addition to the ITV coverage today is this class 2 5F restricted Novice Stakes for two-year-olds. 13 go to post with just four of those having already run. The best of the quartet may well be Craig Lidster’s Vitarli who showed a good attitude to battle back and beat Anfaal at Beverley last week although she is penalised 7lb for that victory.
Amy Murphy sends her Adaay colt Dubai Hills here having finished runner-up of fifteen juveniles at Chantilly in April. He should improve and run well whilst Rod Millman’s Beenham was nibbled at in the market when third on his debut at Bath to an easy Eve Johnson Houghton newcomer. Johnson Houghton saddles a brace of newcomers and her Ethansun who runs in the double green silks of Munir and Souede is the early mover in the market and with Johnson Houghton already sending out two three-year-old winners is the one to be with as she has a line to her juveniles who seem a very good bunch. Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon also saddle newcomers here but I’ll take a chance with the Saxon Warrior colt of Eve Johnson Houghton’s stable.
ETHANDUN 1 point win @ 13/8 with Bet365
Newmarket 13:50
Only five go to post for the re-arranged (from last weekend’s abandoned Sandown card) bet365 Mile, a Group 2 contest run over a mile. Light Infantry was last seen running 6th at Rosehill in Australia in October having previously shown good form when runner-up in two Group ones at Deauville in the Summer. He’s smart and David Simcock’s four-year-old, ridden by Jamie Spencer, looks sure to be thereabouts. He may struggle however to beat Charlie Appleby’s smart Native Trail who has a great classic year in 2022 when runner-up to stablemate Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas at this meeting prior to taking the Irish version three weeks later.
An excellent third against his elders in the Eclipse followed before finishing the season on a low when flopping behind Baaeed at York in the Juddmonte International. He’s back having had his wind tinkered with and can confirm his superiority over Light Infantry in last year’s 2000 Guineas when he was 6L ahead of his rival then. Charlie Hill’s Mutasaabeq has an excellent record fresh having won first time out the last three years and despite a 3lb penalty can also run well but this is all about Native Trail for me.
NATIVE TRAIL 2 points win @ 5/4 with Unibet
Goodwood 14:05
Nine four-year-old and upwards fillies and mares line up for this listed Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes run over 12F where I feel there is a decent wager. It comes in the shape of favourite Time Lock who has plenty going for her. Roger and Harry Charlton have had a quiet start to the turf season but recent signs are that they are ready to roll now and this well-bred four-year-old can take this en route to a fruitful season.
An easy winner at Newmarket last May preceded runner-up spots behind two smart fillies in Mimikyu (beaten a neck)who went on to win twice more including the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster and Haskoy who went on to finish fourth in the St Leger (Beaten only 2L). Proven on soft ground she will be very hard to beat under David Probert.
Her opponents don’t look in the same league as her with David Simcock’s Ching Shih and Voodoo Queen (5 1/4L behind Time Lock at York) the most likely to worry the favourite. The selection has a Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes entry at Royal Ascot next month and will be hard to beat.
TIME LOCK 3 points win @ 11/10 with Bet365
Newmarket 14:25
Eight promising three-year-olds go to post for this listed 7F King Charles II Stakes. Best in at weights is Richard Hannon’s Shouldhavebeenaring who ran well in 6F handicap company at the Craven meeting and should run his race here stepping up a furlong.
This can go to the boys in blue again with Charlie Appleby and William Buick teaming up with their hooded three-year-old Majestic Pride who was last seen winning a conditions race at the Craven meeting on soft ground and in a race that actually lacks plenty in depth can go the way of Godolphin. James Tate’s Iconic Moment has to shoulder a 3lb penalty and is making his turf debut under Ryan Moore but can be competitive.
Billy ‘The Kid’ Loughnane gets the ride on Peter Chapple-Hyam’s filly Crystallium and wasn’t totally disgraced on her re-appearance in the Fred Darling at Newbury.
MAJESTIC PRIDE 1 point win @ 9/4 with William Hill
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Goodwood 14:35
A class 2 5F sprint handicap which has attracted just 8 runners. James Evan’s Dream Composer did well to win at the Newmarket Craven meeting by half a length and a rise of just 2lb shouldn’t stop him being competitive. Top weight Prop Forward trained by Clive Cox and owned by Jeff Smith looks like a smart sprinter and has won two of his three starts since being gelded, both on the all-weather but reverting to turf shouldn’t be an issue and raised 4lb for his latest win at Kempton can be competitive today.
Roger Teal’s Whenthedealisdone won at the track in 2021 and is another that could run well although he has yet to win first time out. Came From The Dark will appreciate any more rain and with a good run at Musselburgh behind him has claims especially if there’s any further rain.
A trappy handicap but I’ll take a chance with top-weight Prop Forward with Kieran Shoemark on board.
PROP FORWARD 1 point win @ 4/1 with Bet365
Newmarket 15:00
Eight go to post for this class 2 7F 0-105 handicap which won’t, in my opinion, take much winning. Ralph Beckett’s Star Of Orion has fallen to a winning mark and although he hasn’t been seen for 190 days would have claims along with top-weight Accidental Agent who although now 9 years old appears to have retained his ability and won first time out over the course and distance at last year’s Craven meeting under today’s rider Georgia Dobie off of the same handicap mark. With his trainer Eve Johnson Houghton hitting form in the last fortnight he could roll back the years and win what amounts to a very winnable handicap for the prize money.
Bass Player could be interesting if the money comes for him as Tom Clover’s four-year-old showed good form early last season and returns here having had a wind operation. William Stone’s Final Watch ran well at the last meeting here and with a one-pound drop can also be thereabouts.
ACCIDENTAL AGENT 1 point each way @ 7/1 with Bet365 1/5th 123
Newmarket 15:35
A disappointing turnout of just five have declared for this 1m 4F Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes. Charlie Appleby saddles a pair in the race with William Buick apparently choosing Hurricane Lane over Global Storm who will be ridden by James Doyle. He sports first-time cheek pieces today having bombed out badly at Newbury on his re-appearance when cutting out rather quickly when finishing last of seven in the John Porter beaten some 19L.
Several good judges felt we would never see the horse again so it’s somewhat of a surprise that he turns up here a fortnight later. The connections said afterwards that he was unsuited by soft ground which to me was rather surprising as he has won a Group 1 on heavy ground and ran a close 3rd in the 2021 Arc De Triomphe on bad ground. He’s the top-rated here and could win but after that last run looks poor value and I’ll be looking elsewhere for the winner.
Simon and Ed Crisford run their smart four-year-old West Wind Blows who if straight enough could be the one to be with. A winner of three races in his classic year and third in a Group 1 in France he has won first time out the last two years and in the hope he’ll be forward enough is taken to win under Jamie Spencer. Outbox couldn’t be fancied on his last run when last in a Musselburgh handicap whilst Rae Guest’s filly Jewel In My Crown has plenty to find.
WEST WIND BLOWS 1 point win @ 6/4 with Bet365
All odds are accurate at the time of writing.
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