Tag: Newmarket

Newmarket Sunday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Gleneagles (4-1) and Goldream (5-1) gave us a profit on the first day of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket. It is the fillies turn to take centre stage on Sunday with the 1000 Guineas, the Pretty Polly Stakes and the Dahlia Stakes.

Our regular readers will be hoping that Local Time gives us a good run having been tipped at 40-1 in the ante-post lists. She is a lot shorter than that now and should not mind the quicker ground judged by her action on dirt. The race does not look particularly strong, especially with O’Brien having taken out both Found and Together Forever.

There are a couple of almost impossible handicaps on the card starting with the 1.50. Lungarno Palace did us a favour at the recent Epsom meeting while Watersmeet has looked a much improved performer on the all-weather. Arab Dawn has attracted market support and looks the sort to develop into a decent handicapper this season, although you could make a case for a dozen of these.

Andre Fabre went close in the 2000 Guineas with Territories and sends over Fintry for the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes. It is interesting to see Clive Brittain’s Rizeena kept in training while Bragging looked a progressive filly last season for Sir Michael Stoute.

A sharp pin may be as good as anything in the sprint at 3.00 but I’m going to give Zanetto another try. He has looked very useful on occasions and was tried at Group 1 level by Andrew Balding last summer. I’m a bit worried by the draw after the way the Guineas panned out and Huntsmans Close could be worth a saver on this side of the track.

The Pretty Polly Stakes has produced the last two Oaks winners in Talent and Taghrooda. There certainly does not seem to be anything of that quality entered on Sunday. It isn’t that often that Dermot Weld sends one over so presumably Zannda will handle the quicker surface and could step up on her Leopardstown form.

The closing handicap is another puzzler with Muqtaser representing the Dissolution form from the Craven meeting. The first six home that day could have been covered with a large horse blanket so the form may be suspect. Her Majesty The Queen’s Mustard seemed to hang fire last time out so I’m going for Godolphin’s Global Force. He made all to win his maiden in good style and could be tough to peg back.

Arab Dawn 1.50 @12-1 Ladbrokes

Fintry 2.25 @2-1 Bet365

Huntsmans Close 3.00 @12-1 Bet365

Zanetto 3.00 @16-1 Coral

Local Time 3.40 @40-1* ante-post (now 16-1 generally)

Zannda 4.50 @3-1 Coral

Global Force 5.25 @9-2 Coral

Newmarket Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Last week we previewed the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and came down on the side of Gleneagles at 9-4. Surprisingly, Aidan O’Brien’s colt can be backed at 7-2 with Paddy Power on the eve of the first classic of the 2015 season.

Highland Reel has been diverted to the French Guineas having drifted to 50-1 on Betfair prior to the announcement from Ballydoyle. Stable companion Ol Man River has come from nowhere to be third favourite at around 6-1. We shall keep faith with the proven two-year-old form of Gleneagles and hope that the market moves are wide of the mark.

There is also a fine supporting card and Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore can get favourite backers off to a good start with Top Tug. He is very lightly raced and matches the profile of previous winners of this race for the powerful Newmarket yard.

The Palace House Sprint does not look particularly strong this year and it may be worth taking a chance on Goldream to successfully step up in class. He was tough and consistent last season for Robert Cowell who is an expert with sprinters. There is a very disappointing turnout for the Jockey Club Cup with Telescope facing only three rivals.

He is top class on his day, as he showed when running away with the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot. He won’t be at his peak for his seasonal debut and Pether’s Moon is the one most likely to give him a race on Saturday.

Henry Candy was a relieved man when Limato came out and won at Ascot in midweek. He sends out another potentially top class sprinter in the 4.20 with the unbeaten Twilight Son. He won both of his races as a two-year-old, including a victory over Desert Force. Richard Hannon’s horse came out and won well at Newbury but now finds himself 11lbs worse off with Twilight Son. Candy’s charge only just got up to win at Thirsk but was trapped at the back of the field with two furlongs to run and did well to make up the ground.

Azmaam was very unlucky at the Craven meeting and can reverse form with Rocky Rider in the 4.55 while Godolphin’s Greatest Journey looks the value bet in the closing race. He was only just denied by Cape Clear Island last time and could be even more effective over this two furlongs shorter trip.

Top Tug 2.00 @9-2 William Hill

Goldream 2.30 @6-1 Betfred

Telescope 3.05 @4-7 Stan James

Gleneagles 3.45 @7-2 Paddy Power

Twilight Son 4.20 @13-8 Betfair

Azmaam 4.55 @7-2 Paddy Power

Greatest Journey 5.30 @6-1 Paddy Power

1000 Guineas Preview

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At first glance, the 1000 Guineas market has a very similar look to the 2000 Guineas with Aidan O’Brien holding a strong hand. Found has been favourite since winning at Longchamp in October but the filly does not carry the same confidence as her stable companion Gleneagles in the colt’s classic.

The reason is that she suffered a minor setback a few weeks’ ago and O’Brien recently suggested that she may not make the Guineas. The Irish Guineas is an alternative and it would be no great surprise to see her stable companion Together Forever take over as favourite next week.

She is also a daughter of Galileo and won three times over a mile last season, suggesting that the Oaks may be her ultimate destination. She ended her campaign with victory in the Dubai Fillies’ Mile when beating Agnes Stewart on soft ground with Lucida behind in fifth. The third and fourth have been well beaten already this season so there is a slight question mark against the form.

It is interesting to see Jim Bolger’s Lucida in to as short as 6-1 for Newmarket despite that defeat. She looked useful when winning the Rockfel Stakes and fast ground could be the key to her. Barry Hills has prepared Rockfel runner-up Fadhayyil in much the same way as he did with Ghanaati in 2009. A racecourse gallop at Newmarket was deemed sufficient as the veteran trainer approaches his second retirement from the sport.

Osaila and Redstart won the big trials at Newmarket and Newbury last week but caused little more than a ripple in the ante-post market. Osaila just held New Providence in the Nell Gwyn Stakes while Redstart effectively ended the classic pretentions of Tiggy Wiggy in the Fred Darling. Neither race really screamed classic winner but Godolphin’s Beautiful Romance ran on well in third at Newmarket and I could see her reversing the form in the classic.

I suggested taking a little of the 40-1 available about Local Time after she stormed to victory in the UAE Guineas. The Godolphin filly followed up even more impressively in the UAE Oaks but is not yet a confirmed runner for Newmarket. If, as I suspect, Found does not make the classic, there could be a large field.

Local Time @43-1 Betfair

2000 Guineas Preview

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The first classic races of the 2015 season are only a week away with the 2000 Guineas first up on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien could saddle as many as four here but there is little doubt that Gleneagles is the one expected to lift the prize. He has not been seen since being controversially disqualified in the Grand Criterium at Longchamp’s Arc meeting in October. He was deemed to have caused interference to the second Full Mast and third Territories, the latter being set to re-oppose at Newmarket.

Gleneagles is a son of Galileo and has also been handed a Derby entry so he is following a similar pattern to Camelot and Australia. The money was all for Gleneagles a few weeks ago and nothing has really happened in the trials to challenge his position as favourite.

Stable companion Highland Reel was a very impressive winner of the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last summer after winning his maiden by 12 lengths in Ireland. He looked more of a middle distance performer that day and could be joined by the unbeaten Ol’ Man River and War Envoy.

Andre Fabre plans to supplement Territories on Monday after coming through his trial satisfactorily in the Prix De Fontainebleau at Longchamp. He has half a length to make up on Gleneagles but connections obviously feel that he is capable of doing so.

The Greenham Stakes looked like an excellent trial on paper but is seems to have left us with more questions than answers. Estidhkaar has emerged as second favourite at around 7-1 after being beaten by Muhaarar who is still available at 25-1. That suggests that the Greenham winner may be heading to the French Guineas while Ivawood and Belardo were very disappointing.

Kool Kompany appears to have won a sub-standard Craven Stakes while Elm Park has always looked a more likely Derby contender. His victory in the Racing Post Trophy had all of the hallmarks of a horse bound for Epsom and you have to wonder whether he will have the speed for the Guineas. Andrew Balding would probably be delighted with a staying on fourth place here with all roads leading to Epsom.

It is difficult to see anything else emerging from the trials with a serious chance and this looks like yet another classic success for Ballydoyle.

Gleneagles @9-4 888Sport

Newmarket Craven Stakes Day Preview

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The Craven Stakes is the highlight of Thursday’s card at Newmarket with a field of seven set to go to post. The race looks unlikely to have any great impact on the 2000 Guineas but could hold some Epsom Derby clues.

Nafaqa was a top quality two-year-old for veteran trainer Barry Hills and got within a length of Elm Park in the Royal Lodge Stakes on his last run. That was over a mile in September and the son of Sir Percy may already be crying out for a longer trip. He had previously beaten Toocoolforschool by half a length at Doncaster and that horse boosted the form with an impressive win in the Mill Reef Stakes.

Frankie Dettori had a great day at Newmarket yesterday, winning the Nell Gwyn and the Feilden Stakes. He rode Osaila for Al Shaqab Racing and now teams up with Moheet, an unbeaten son of High Chaparral. He won by seven lengths on his debut at Salisbury last year and could be anything. White Lake could also have a big future but has to improve on his disappointing defeat at Doncaster in September.

He was odds-on favourite that day but could never land a blow, finishing a length and a half behind Nafaqa. The Hills’ colt just gets the vote in a fascinating contest.

Music Master deserves to take the Abernant Stakes for Henry Candy after some fine efforts in Group 1 company. He usually runs well fresh and was third to G Force in Haydock’s Sprint Cup in September. He was also fourth in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot which will probably be his main summer target again this season.

Following the All-weather form on turf can be the quick way to the poor house but it may be worth making an exception with Rocky Rider in the £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Trophy. Andrew Balding’s son of Galileo made hard work of winning his maiden at Windsor in soft ground in October but was very impressive at Chelmsford last time. Secret Brief is probably the one to beat if you overlook his last start when outclassed in the Dewhurst.

The globetrotting Grandeur could gain his first Group victory in the UK when he lines up for the Earl Of Sefton Stakes at 4.40. Arod was fourth in last year’s Derby but connections don’t seem certain about his best trip while French Navy will be hard to beat on his best form. There are some promising three-year-olds in the last and Muqtaser is just preferred to Mohatem.

Rocky Rider 2.55 @4-1 Paddy Power
Music Master 3.30 @5-2 Bet365
Nafaqa 4.05 @4-1 William Hill
Grandeur 4.40 @5-1 Coral
Muqtaser 5.40 @11-2 Paddy Power

Faydhan to stake Guineas claim at Newmarket

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The Craven meeting gets under way at Newmarket on Wednesday with a fascinating eight-race card. All eyes will be on 2000 Guineas second favourite Faydhan, trained by John Gosden. He created a big impression with a six lengths victory on his debut over Dutch Connection at Haydock.

That was way back in July last year and he was unable to race again at two due to injury. Gosden has elected to go for the seven furlong Free Handicap rather than the Craven over a mile. His four rivals don’t look Guineas class and it will be a major surprise if he is beaten.

The fillies take centre stage with the Nell Gwyn Stakes at 4.05. There are some proven performers in here and a couple of unbeaten fillies with great potential. Marsh Hawk is probably the pick of the field on two-year-old form but more likely classic contenders are Beautiful Romance and Lady Correspondent.

Godolphin’s Beautiful Romance won in the style of a staying filly on her debut and looks more of an Oaks prospect. I’m just going to side with Gosden’s Lady Correspondent who won a decent maiden in good style and will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

Moore has an excellent book of rides and can also take the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Sprint aboard The Warrior for Aidan O’Brien. He may be more exposed than some of his rivals but I liked the way he sliced through a big field first time out and he will lack nothing for fitness.

Richard Fahey has a high opinion of Akeed Champion who disappointed in soft ground on his second start last season. He can make amends in the opener while it is difficult to oppose Brocklesby winner Ravenhoe in the two-year-old race.

The Feilden Stakes sometimes throws up a classic contender and there are some promising colts in action including the Queen’s Peacock. It is dangerous backing all-weather form on the turf but Festive Fare looked very good last time and can win this for Godolphin. Disegno and Golden Horn are others to consider in another excellent contest.

Whatever happens to Golden Horn, Storm The Stars should run well in the maiden. He was just edged out by the Gosden horse last time and still holds some ambitious entries. The closing handicap looks wide open but it may be worth taking a chance on Navigate who improved with every race as a juvenile.

Akeed Champion 1.45 @2-1 Betfair

Ravenhoe 2.20 @6-4 Bet365

The Warrior 2.55 @9-4 Stan James

Faydhan 3.30 @4-9 Coral

Lady Correspondent 4.05 @5-1 William Hill

Festive Fare 4.40 @3-1 Coral

Storm The Stars 5.10 @2-1 Paddy Power

Navigate 5.40 @12-1 Bet365