Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Newmarket and Ascot on Saturday. View selections below.
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GOLDEN HORDE (3.35) can reward favourite backers in the feature Darley July Cup at soggy Newmarket.
Clive Cox saddled the three-year-old to run out a comfortable winner of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, proving too strong for the highly-rated Wesley Ward-trained American raider Kimari. Golden Horde was a very speedy juvenile, picking off the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and there was some cut in the ground when winning at Ascot.
Hello Youmzain is perfectly at home in the mud and Kevin Ryan’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes winner will be on many shortlists along with Sceptical and Khaadem.
FINEST SOUND (1.50) has solid credentials in the bet365 Mile. The gelding was sent off favourite to land the 22-runner Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot but had to play second fiddle to impressive Khaloosy. The track was riding soft and he gets the nod over Surf Dancer, fortunate not to be pushed through the rail when squeezed up behind Well Of Wisdom at Sandown.
The 20-runner Bunbury Cup over seven furlongs could prove a bookies’ benefit but MUTAMAASIK (4.10) should give his backers a run for their money. He finished two places behind today’s likely favourite Motakhayyel in a 23-runner handicap at Ascot in mid-June but wasn’t quite so well drawn that day as the winner. My selection had mopped up his four previous races and is clearly useful.
At bigger each-way odds Arigato, a previous winner on soft, is in such rampant form that he could well cope with another ratings rise.
Underfoot conditions will be much slicker at Ascot where APPARATE (1.30) can get his truncated season off to a winning start in the 1m 6f Betfred ‘Thanks To The NHS’ Handicap.
Fast ground is the key to Roger Varian’s colt and with the weather set fair the track should be in perfect condition. This will be Apparate’s first attempt beyond 12 furlongs but he proved his liking for the course when pipping Old Persian here last September. He had the speed to beat Harrovian over ten furlongs at Newmarket last May and could well improve again for this step up in trip.
Mohaather is clear favourite to land the Group 2 Betfred Summer Mile after he was denied a clear run in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. A more attractive each-way option should be ZAAKI (3.15), deprived by a nose in this race 12 months ago. Sir Michael Stoute’s gelding performs well at the track and enjoys fast ground.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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