Former Talksport man Charlie McCann marks your card with six to follow on Saturday at Newbury, Newmarket and Doncaster. View selections below
The Gp 2 Hungerford Stakes is this afternoon’s feature and a fascinating renewal with just seven runners going to post and Godolphin’s Home of the Brave a very warm favourite for Newbury’s feature and jockey Jim Crowley in the plate for the first time. Hugo Palmer’s colt sets a fair standard based on his second in last month’s Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood but with Palmer’s yard, and indeed several other Newmarket trainers, under something of a cloud preference lies instead with Sir Michael Stoute’s Convey (4.10) under Pat Smullen. The selection bounced back to found when down in grade last month at Pontefract, bolting-up by five lengths under Ryan Moore, and with just 2lb to find on officially ratings should give Home of the Brave a race and out-run his price of 5/2 with BetVictor.
Hungerford Stakes prices from BetVictor
Home of the Brave 11/8
Convey 5/2
Markaz 6/1
10/1 Bar
Smullen boasts an excellent book of rides for Prince Khalid Abdullah and should go close earlier on the card with Ralph Beckett’s filly Amabailis (2.30) in the Listed Washington Singer Stakes. The well-bred filly was well-backed for a 7f Maiden last month at Glorious Goodwood, bumping into a useful one of Aidan O’Brien’s, and can shed the maiden tag at the third time of asking upped in grade.
The Champion Irish Jockey should likewise score aboard Kings Fete (3.05) who bounced back from a troubled passage at Royal Ascot to score upped in grade last month at Glorious Goodwood. The selection finished third in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, when arguably unlucky not to win the race in the Stewards’ room, and justified favouritism to land the Gp 3 Glorious Stakes last month under Ryan Moore. He improved with every run and should have enough class to see off the challenge of Humphrey Bogart, with Richard Hannon’s 3-y-o receiving a favourable 11lb weight-for-age allowance.
Hannon’s, perhaps aptly-named, filly Promising showed she was just that when second on debut last month at Glorious Goodwood and must go close in the opening 6f Maiden however preference lies instead with Hathwa (1.55) under Frankie Dettori. The selection failed to land a gamble last week on debut at Windsor when backed into 4/1 from 14s when too green to land a blow. Nevertheless, she made plenty of late headway when the penny eventually began to drop and must go close to giving Richard Hughes a first winner for Al Shaqab Racing.
They also go this afternoon at Newmarket where Tony Carroll’s Time Medicean bids to make it fourth time lucky in the 6f handicap exclusively for greys. The evergreen 10-y-o has placed on his last three starts and is well-handicapped on the pick of his best form however, he is overlooked on this occasion for Clive Cox’s Andar (2.45) who can continue the excellent record of 3-y-o’s in the contest under Neil Callan. The selection remains a maiden after nine starts but must go close based on his runner-up efforts at Haydock and Bath earlier in the campaign and should improve for the fitting of first-time blinkers.
It’s interesting to see Al Shaqab Racing sending a 450,000gns daughter of Frankel to the Luca Cumani yard and his filly Aljezeera (2.35) looks to have been well-placed to make a winning debut under Shane Kelly at Doncaster. The yard are enjoying a terrific season with their juveniles and this looks another smart one for the yard, and noticeably entered in the Gp 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.
Classic winner Galileo Gold heads a field of 11 for Sunday’s Prix Jacques le Marois in France, bidding to become just the third horse to complete the Newmarket/Deauville double, and the first since Makfi did likewise in 2010. The classic generation boast a tremendous record in the race, winning 9 of the last 16 renewals, and Richard Fahey’s Ribchester (2.55) can confirm the trend for Team Godolphin. The colt put in career best last time out in the Sussex Stakes and has conditions to suit to reverse the form with Galileo Gold and claim a first Gp 1 success.
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Be lucky
Charlie
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