The horse racing broadcaster offers his best bets for this weekend's racing around the UK.
A somewhat strange but refreshing look to racing this Saturday, with issues at Haydock giving Carlisle its moment in the limelight alongside Beverley to provide the bulk of the nine-race action on ITV.
The best-looking bets at Carlisle come early on in the card, starting with the front-running TOPTEAM 13/2 (13:30 Carlisle) in the opener. He progressed well in handicaps last season, landing a summer hat-trick and maintaining that upward curve this year with a victory at Kempton and a solid second at Newmarket last time out – form that received a boost with the success of Ernst Blofeld at Kempton on Wednesday. He will have to work to get across early from his wide draw, but once in front he should have the opportunity to control the pace around the turn and keep enough in reserve to repel challengers up the home straight.
JORDAN ELECTRICS 9/1 (14:00 Carlisle) is now approaching the veteran stage but is a horse who will benefit from the switch of the card to Carlisle from Haydock. He is 2/2 at the track and is on his lowest mark since July 2024. He seemed to find 5f too sharp at his beloved Hamilton last time, having previously shown there was still plenty of life in his legs when runner-up at Newmarket over 7f at the Craven meeting. That effort came in a higher-grade race, and he now drops to a mark that Jim Goldie should be able to exploit. There appears to be enough pace to give him a good tow into the race under Callum Rodriguez, who is having his first ride for the yard since July 2023.
Sprinters are again in action over 5f in the Achilles Stakes, where CELANDINE 5/1 (14:33 Carlisle) is fancied to show a clean pair of heels. She lost all chance by jumping in the air at the start last time but still did well against the tempo to finish fifth behind Flora of Bermuda. She won the Lowther as a juvenile, defeating Time For Sandals, and is at her best on fast ground. The stiff uphill finish at Carlisle should suit, and provided she breaks on terms, she looks a solid proposition at around 5-1.
Away from Carlisle, the focus shifts to the two-year-olds at Beverley, where two races bring together several early-season juvenile form lines. First up are the fillies in the Hilary Needler, where ROLLTHEDICEBABY 9/1 (14:15 Beverley) can progress from her Goodwood debut. The Sussex venue is a tough place to debut, as races develop quickly, and by the time she found her feet, the winner, Armor Supreme, had gone beyond recall. That winner has since finished second in the Marygate at York, suggesting Rollthedicebaby may simply have encountered a well-prepared rival. With that run under her belt, she could improve more than is typical for a Richard Hannon juvenile, especially as she is by Soldier’s Call, whose progeny often progress markedly from their debut. His strike rate with first-time juveniles is just 8/154 (A/E 0.65), but his overall early-season two-year-old record (March–May) stands at a stronger 21/126 (A/E 1.41), highlighting the potential for improvement.
On the colts’ side, ARAPAHO GOLD 4/1 (14:48 Beverley) recorded extremely rapid closing sectionals for a debutant at Thirsk, including a 10.66-second penultimate furlong. Unlike many first-season sires this campaign, Bayside Boy has made an excellent start with his early runners (5/13, A/E 2.60), and Michael Dods appears to have a very speedy individual on his hands. He is nicely drawn in stall 6, allowing him to adopt a stalking position without being forced onto the rail, giving Connor Beasley flexibility in how and where to challenge. A low draw can be something of a poisoned chalice at Beverley’s straight track, as runners often converge towards the rail, leaving limited room for hold-up horses. He runs in the same colours as the yard’s durable sprinter Dakota Gold, and connections may well have struck lucky again.
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