The horse racing broadcaster offers up his five selections for Saturday's racing at Newmarket and York.
In recent seasons the Cesarewitch has provided an appropriate transition between the Flat and Jumps with many of the winners having plied their trade under both codes. Jumps trainers Philip Hobbs, Alan King, Nicky Henderson and most notably Willie Mullins all feature on the recent roll of honour, but it could be last year’s renewal that holds the key to success this year.
That race was won by BEYLERBEYI 11/2 (15:40 Newmarket) and even though he lines up 10lbs higher in the ratings, his form this season has shown he still looks competitive. A particularly unlucky run over on the July Course off 100 (just 1lb lower) and the prospect of the large field again setting the race up nicely make him the one to beat once more. He ran perfectly respectably behind Caballo De Mar in the Doncaster Cup and any notion that the winner was on the wane was dispelled by his surprise defeat of Scandinavia in the Cadran last weekend. The drying ground will hold no fears, and Billy Loughnane knows his idiosyncrasies (he needs producing late) well. Last year’s second Dawn Rising could prove a threat as he has a considerable pull at the weights and may well have had this as his target this campaign. Joseph O’Brien has proved a master this season in staying handicaps where he has often been mob handed, but here he relies solely on Dawn Rising with Ryan Moore booked. It is only the more consistent profile of Beylerbeyi that sees him get the nod.
One trainer who does attack a race mob handed is Andrew Balding who saddles three of the five runners in opening Group 3 Darley Stakes, no doubt trying to bolster his prize money tally on what is a big weekend for the Trainers title. The Lost King looks to hold the best chance of that trio but at the prices Karl Burke’s BOILING POINT 5/1 (13:15 Newmarket) makes more appeal. A previous winner of the Cambridgeshire on fast ground he had both High Stock and Haatem behind when winning at Goodwood in May and could well expose any shortcomings in The Lost King’s stamina. The only straight 9f in the country means there is no breather round the bend and so places a little more emphasis on fully seeing out the trip.
Newmarket shares ITV coverage with York where the field sizes are much healthier and a few horses at bigger prices are of interest.
First up is BATTLE FEVER 18/1 (13:30 York) in the Listed 6f Rockingham Stakes. The last time he ran on the Knavesmire he led home the rest of the field behind the runaway, and subsequent Group 1 winner Sun Goddess, in the Goffs Half Million with both Speed of Sound (third) and Satellite of Love (fifth) also winning since to give the form a solid look. As Battle Fever was beaten in a nursery at Hamilton last time it seems the market feels that York run to be a fluke but Battle Fever made his effort plenty early enough in a race run at a good pace at York and odds of around 20-1 at the time of writing look too big.
CASTLE STUART 12/1 (14:05 York) may not be the biggest but he is amassing a good record in competitive York handicaps over this trip. Barry McHugh knows him well and he is well drawn in stall 6. He is versatile regarding ground and looks likely to figure in the finish again and is another currently available at double figure odds.
Finally at York, BINHAREER 5/1 (15:17 York) is another who seems to run well at the track. Sent off joint favourite in the Ayr Gold Cup, he never figured but the ground got very deep that day and he is better judged on his narrow defeat over course and distance earlier on in the season behind Dark Thirty. Both are higher in the weights but that still looks a key line of form, and a central draw will give Tom Marquand options.
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