Saturday's Meetings Curragh Flat 8 Races 1:30-5:25p.m. Market Rasen N/H 7 Races 1:35-5:00p.m. Cartmel N/H 7 Races 1:40-5:10p.m. Newbury Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Ripon Flat 6 Races 2:10-5:05p.m. Newmarket(E) Flat 6 Races 4:20-7:05p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:45-8:45p.m Haydock(E) Flat 6 Races 6:25-9:00p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Market Rasen 14,40 Kihavah 9/1 e/w bet365, Lads and Coral five places, 15/2 sky six places 15,15 Parisencore 11/1 PP and betfair five places, 10/1 sky six places
The Summer Plate (15:15) at Market Rasen, a Class-1 Handicap Chase over an extended 2m5f on good ground, is certainly a competitive affair. Selection is the consistent chaser, Mole Court. Handicapper has given the gelding a fair chance of a podium finish, at least, with the allotted weight of 11-2. Wears cheek-pieces as in previous races. Ben Jones rides for the Ben Pauling stable. 7/1 (Betfred/BetVictor) top price at time of writing, on the ATR site. E/W best option. Have an enjoyable and successful Saturday, folks!
Looking at the weather forecast, does anyone think that the going will really be “Good” by the time the Irish Oaks is run? Aidan O’Brien only accounts for three of the field of fourteen and, curiously, Ryan Moore is aboard Pretty Polly third Content rather than Ribblesdale winner Port Fairy. Listed winner Lava Stream has been supplemented after her close second in the Ribblesdale, fourth home You Got To Me and ninth home Rubies Are Red also re-oppose. It would be a major surprise if Willie Mullins won this with twice-raced Lope De Lilas and 10/1 is a joke price about a maiden race winner. The form pick here is surely War Chimes, third in the Oaks as a 50/1 shot (You Got To Me fourth, Rubies Are Red ninth), but all of her form is on soft ground so it needs to rain a lot! This does not look like a great renewal on paper. The two main events at Newbury offer the opportunity of picking the wrong one in sprint lotteries. The Weatherbys Super Sprint (3:35) offers prize money down to tenth and has occasionally gone to a good horse that has been picked up at their sales for a bargain price. As a betting race it frequently offers little and this year it will probably go to one of the front five in the betting with It Ain’t Two leading the way off just 8st 7lb, Miss Collada representing the often successful Hannon yard, Vingegaard arguably the form pick on suspect Windsor Castle form, Kaadi placed in two French Listed races and raced-once-won-once Time For Sandals drawn 1 on the other side of the track. The problem with the Hackwood Stakes (3:00) is which piece of Royal Ascot form you want to follow. Regional is the form pick on his second in the King Charles III (Twilight Calls and Diligent Harry behind) and last year’s Haydock Sprint Cup win (Rohaan behind). Elite Status has not been seen since a course and distance Listed win two months ago whilst last year’s Gimcrack winner Lake Forest was second in the Commonwealth Cup (Kind Of Blue fourth) when last seen and is probably more my idea of the winner. Ten are set to face the starter in the two mile handicap (2:25) but it looks like a race where plenty can be easily removed from contention. Eight year old Ranch Hand missed 2023, has not won since 2021 and was well beaten under today’s apprentice at Goodwood back in May and could be the pace angle today. Nine year old Sleeping Lion’s form figures look good but he last won on turf in 2019 and on the kitty litter in 2022. Master Milliner won over two and a half miles at Goodwood in 2022, missed last year and the eight year old was third last in the Ascot Stakes on his return, a race where Temporize was fifth and Kyle Of Lochalsh was third. The latter was running that day off a 10lb higher mark than when winning over fourteen furlongs on soft ground at Salisbury and may want easier ground. Andrew Balding is doubly represented and Oisin Murphy gets the leg up on Spirit Mixer who was third over this trip at Goodwood before finishing mid division in the Pitmen’s Derby. He has not been in the winner’s enclosure since 2022 and may not end that run here. Topweight Prydwen was way out of his depth in the Gold Cup and has not won on turf since 2022 and it is difficult to see him giving weight away all round, starting with 5lb to Baaeed’s half brother Naqeeb. The reality is that the Haggas runner is trying a new trip having been third in the Jockey Club Stakes, last in the Yorkshire Cup and most recently never a factor in the Copper Horse; and today they have got rid of the cheekpieces and tongue tie in what looks like desperation. So that leaves me with the two bottom weights. The form figures look good for bottomweight Dancing In Paris, stepping up two furlongs from last week’s win at Ascot; however, that is my concern. Ian Williams’ charge had a hard race last Saturday, just holding the favourite in a photo and this may come too soon on a 4lb higher mark. Just above him on the racecard is Pyledriver’s Frankel half sister SHAGPYLE, winner last time of a Ffos Las handicap at this trip but actually 2lb better off thanks to the booking of 3lb claimer Tyler Heard. Having only her eighth career start today, there has to be a chance of some improvement still to come, although it is a concern that the Muir/Grassick operation has not registered a winner this month.
