Saturday's Meetings Newmarket Flat 8 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Bangor-on-Dee N/H 7 Races 1:35-5:05p.m. Wexford N/H 7 Races 1:40-5:10p.m. Newbury Flat 8 Races 1:50-5:18p.m. Thirsk Flat 8 Races 1:57-5:58p.m. Uttoxeter(E) N/H 7 Races 5:35-8:35p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:50-8:50p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
I presume you mean today, the 20th May not the 22nd ? Anyway been given Laurel in the Lockinge and told to take the price as a Frankie surge is apparently gonna occur !
Bangor 16,30 Hashehadhisoatsyet 10/1 e/w bet365, 9/1 others Uttoxeter 18,35 Risk And Roll 11/2 19,05 Uhtred 7/2
I expected this thread to be full of selections for the 2:15 at Auteuil by now but I guess the slow old plodder fans are still trying to figure out which of the Mullins quartet to do. With the going Good at HQ and Newbury, there should be no excuses for anyone. The Lockinge looks very competitive and expectation is that, once again, there will be something that is better than a handicapper lurking in the London Gold Cup – could it be the King’s horse? Newbury should start with a steering job for William Buick as Gimcrack winner Noble Style will be odds on to return to the winner’s enclosure after not getting home in the Guineas. In the following Al Rayyan Stakes (The Aston Park for us old folks), he gets the leg up on the likely favourite Yibir, who gets in the race unpenalised but has never won first time out. He has been expensive to follow – I know as he was my Derby ante post bet two years ago! Although he won the Princess of Wales’s Stakes when last seen there was clearly something amiss with the other joint favourite that day. His stablemate Kemari won the Queen’s Vase two years ago but has not won since, running mostly at this level. It is impossible to know what to make of Bolshoi Ballet, who has only run twice in the last two years (clearly had problems), was the well beaten favourite for the 2021 Derby and last won when picking up the Belmont Derby Invitational on his subsequent start. Gaassee could well be an improver from the Haggas barn, won on his seasonal bow last season but was stone last when favourite for the Ebor when last seen, making me wonder if he might be needing this possibly coming back from injury. Old Harrovian seeks a hat-trick but this is a big step up from two small field wins on the kitty litter. That leaves me with the horse that has been in my ATR Tracker since she won the Galtres at York, where she showed battling qualities to beat the subsequently disappointing Time Lock: HASKOY. Frankie gets the leg up today and the Beckett horses are running well with two winners and two seconds yesterday and seven winners on the week, so I think last year’s St Leger runner-up (demoted to fourth) will be good enough – the Yorkshire Cup winner was fourth across the line at Town Moor. I cannot see me backing anything in the London Gold Cup as there are five horses that I think could be a Group horse picking up a valuable handicap on the way to better things. We do not see Aidan O’Brien runners in British handicaps very often and Bertinelli has not done a great deal in his three races to justify his 99 rating but has not been out of the first two in those minor events. I like the look of Roger Varian’s Exoplanet, who chased home Military Order on his return having finished last behind Silver Knott in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes on his second juvenile start, suggesting he is well regarded at home. Royal Rhyme has only four runs to his name but the most recent was a five length win at this trip for which he has been raised 10lb, but I wonder if he needs the soft ground that has seen both his wins. At the time Desert Hero was third in the Group 3 Solario as a juvenile, he was The Queen’s horse and favourite but he finished closer to winner Silver Knott than Exoplanet did previously. Lieber Power returns to the scene of his modest debut seventh but followed up with a win on the Kempton kitty litter. He was last seen two months ago when second last as favourite in a Kempton conditions race but comes from a yard whose horses are running well, including Dante winner The Foxes in the same colours. It was easy enough to nearly half the Lockinge field in terms of serious win contenders. After finishing just ninth in the Guineas, Light Infantry was second in both the Prix Jean Prat (to Tenebrism, Lusail and Modern Games behind) and the Prix Jacques le Marois (to Inspiral) and comes here race fit after a third in the bet365 Mile – but can he turn the form around with three length winner Mutasaabeq now that he is 3lb worse off? Lightly raced Triple Time won a four runner Group 3 last term but was subsequently well beaten in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein, where Checkandchallenge was ahead of him. Even if the heavy ground was his undoing that day, he needs to improve a lot to trouble the market leaders today. Jadoomi is a very likeable gelding for the Crisfords and he ran up a hat-trick last summer including two Group 2 events but every time he has won on turf the word ‘soft’ has appeared in the going. His third in the Queen Elizabeth II, just behind Modern Games entitles him to be lining up but he may not be the only one today wanting to be in the lead; and that QEII form looks suspect. My Prospero won first time up last term and it could be argued that he is the form pick on his third in the Champion Stakes (1/4 Baaeed behind) but that was over further and in the blanket finish to the St James’s Palace – his last run at a mile – Lusail was a short head in front. Mutasaabeq is vying for favouritism on the strength of two front-running wins since the blinkers were applied. Can the son of Guineas winner Ghanaati find the extra improvement needed to win here? I think that is quite possible but it is a little too early to be drawing comparisons with Baaeed and he may not get it all his own way up front today. Modern Games hardly knows how to run a bad race, his worst effort last year being when fifth in the Prix Jean Prat. He won the Poulains (French Guineas) first time out, the Woodbine Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Mile; however, he failed to win on these shores, following home Baaeed in the Sussex and failing to pick up the QEII in Baaeed’s absence. Modern Games is race fit having contested – but failed to win – a valuable Grade 1 at Keeneland in April; however, also race fit is the lightly raced Kingman filly LAUREL. She collected a Listed race on the kitty litter in April but her worth is really judged on the form of her only defeat in four starts, where she was caught late on by Fonteyn in the Group 1 Sun Chariot on only her third start. I think she can find the necessary improvement to beat the boys today and trigger a flying dismount for her jockey on what is (allegedly) his last ride in the race.
Newbury (15:35) Lockinge Stakes, Group-1, 1 mile The Iffraaj colt, My Prospero, (Damsire: Sea The Stars), is my choice for today's big race. Top class 4-y-o, and should run a big race. Negative is the distance might not be far enough for him, so jockey Tom Marquand has a tough task on his hands,. However, I wouldn't swap Tom Marquand, a top-class young rider, who will be on board for the William Haggas stable. 6/1 (Coral/BetFred) best price at time of writing. I will be very disappointed if selection does not make the podium at the very least, so it has to be E/W, just in case he can't quite get there! Have a successful day, folks!
I'm sorry to tell you that I have a 6/1 bet win only. Newbury 14,25 Israr 9/1 e/w Lads and Coral three places, 10/1 two places others
No need to be sorry, Pilgrim. Actually, in my current form my selections mean virtually nothing, so let's just wish ourselves good luck today! If Marquand can keep My Prospero focussed, then he should run well. Apparently the colt is well-drawn in Stall-12. Have a good day!
That race just run at Newmarket (3.15) was a Class 3 handicap and look at the prize money - pathetic with a capital "P". Way too much racing again today in the UK with 29 flat races and 14 NH races.
My Prospero is a mile-and-a-quarter horse, that's for sure. Marquand did all he could to keep up with the speed horses. Bit gutted he couldn't beat the second and third home, although he did finish like a train. SkyBet paid 4-places which is better than nothing for SB account holders. Fine ride by William Buick, what a great jockey he is. Trainer Charlie Appleby produced the goods again!
An excellent ride from William Buick on Modern Games, though the runner-up seemed to take it personally. I wonder if he intended to be so far back on the winner. Perhaps Laurel just was not good enough although none of the far side group looked like winning. I wonder if they will make the runner-up wear a net muzzle next time even though I do not recall the horse having any history of biting. I am trying to remember the one from many years ago that ended up wearing one every race.
