Racing
Newmarket betting preview: Maydanny set to win Almufti battle
Steven Dowler is back with a Newmarket betting preview ahead of Thursday’s Boosted £7,000 Place 6. Read his tips and, if you agree, join his Syndicate.
Newmarket betting preview
12.10 – Class 2 Maiden Fillies’ – 6f
A tricky heat to start the Newmarket betting preview. That being said, I think the best policy is to concentrate on those towards the top-end of the betting market.
Charlie Appleby operates at an impressive win strike-rate of 30% on the July course here with his two-year-old runners and debutant MISS JINGLES can be expected to go well. She is related to some high-class racehorses, and should be street-wise to play a part in this wide-open event on debut with Buick on board.
WILLABELL will likely start favourite on the back of an encouraging sixth at Royal Ascot in the Group 3 Albany Stakes. That is the best piece of form on offer and a repeat performance could be enough to see her in the winner’s enclosure.
SHE’S SO NICE shaped nicely to finish second on debut at Thirsk albeit sent off favourite on that occasion. I did like her attitude and her determination to push the winner all the way to the line, and that will stand her in good stead ahead of this much deeper contest.
Furthermore, GLESGA GIRL also has a fair chance of going one better. She did most of the donkey work on debut from the front and lost nothing in defeat when taking second place. Hugo Palmer does well at this track, therefore, she should run well with more to come.
Selections: MISS JINGLES, WILLABELL, SHE’S SO NICE, GLESGA GIRL
12.45 – Class 2 Handicap – 6f
Indeed, you could easily make a case for a fair chunk of today’s runners in this quite competitive-looking handicap.
William Haggas does very well in handicaps at this track and the progressive – improving NAHAARR should be in the thick of the action. He’s won four of his eight starts and seemed to relish the return to six furlongs last time out when running a screamer to finish third in the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot. I am surprised the handicapper hasn’t put him up more than 1lb to be honest, meaning he is still well-treated here, and with Tom Marquand riding out of his mind this season, he must hold strong claims of providing his trainer with another sizable pot.
WOVEN also ran in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and, he, himself wasn’t far behind Nahaarr back in sixth. His draw that day in stall 8 was a clear negative, so the fact that he got as close as he did that day deserves a good deal of praise. Dropped 1lb for that good run in defeat, he’s a massive player today.
Course specialist PASS THE VINO often saves his best for this track, and ran an eye-catching race to finish third here last time out on his seasonal debut. With that run under his belt and running off the exact same mark of 94, he could prove very dangerous to ignore indeed.
Top-weight WELL DONE FOX has been contesting higher-rated races than this previously. He disappointed on his only previous try over this trip, but today’s event much weaker, with that previous outing coming in a Group 3, and being the only runner rated beyond 100, he’s worth chancing with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.
Selections: NAHAARR, WOVEN, PASS THE VINO, WELL DONE FOX
13.15 – Class 3 Handicap – 1m
This race should be fought out between Almufti and MAYDANNY with clear preference for the latter – who might have been three positions behind the former in the Silver Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, but was not beaten all that far considering he was drawn woefully in stall five in comparison to those who were front of him. To his ultimate credit, therefore, the mere fact that Maydanny fared best out of all those low drawn numbers with all the front six home being drawn in double-digits puts into perspective what Maydanny achieved that day.
The handicapper has given him an excellent chance here leaving him alone on a mark 90 which I find a welcome bonus. Initially, I wouldn’t say any selection is a definitive winner, but this beautifully-bred colt should easily be capable of capturing a race of this nature because he looks a group-performer in the making and in theory, he should be much shorter with most firms from a form perspective. He’s given a confidence vote to provide the flat season-conquering Maktoum connections and rider Jim Crowley with another valuable contest this season and is the only pick in the third leg of my Newmarket betting preview.
Selections: MAYDANNY
13.50 – Henry Cecil Listed Stakes – 1m
A competitive field assembled for this valuable prize, but it could pay to concentrate on those with battle-hardened experience.
That includes AL SUHAIL who is the clear top-rated in the field at 112 and although disappointing when finishing tailed off in the 2,000 Guineas, his form prior to that assignment is strong, especially his third placed effort behind Positive and Kameko in a Group three event before chasing home the smart Military March here two runs ago. That form has been well advertised since, so it would come as no surprise to this quirky but talented individual regain form now taking a considerable drop down in class. Unless one of the unexposed runners are above-average – he has the credentials to win this.
King Power Racing have been in flying form since racing resumed and surely MYSTERY POWER ranks an appealing each-way proposition on today’s card despite looking as though he’s been dismissed by most market firms. It should be acknowledged that the three-year-old has Group two winning form and two of his four defeats since have come behind the high-class Pinatubo. On the face of it, his reappearance ninth at Royal Ascot on his return to action was disappointing, but there is an element of him possibly needing that run, and his fitness will be much more street-wise here.
There are, of course, some seriously unexposed rivals in this race, but Richard Hannon obviously rates him extremely highly hence why he was pitched in against some of the best two-year-olds last season. This race is evidently much easier – though admittedly, the only reason he isn’t shorter in the market is the mere fact that he’s yet to tackle a race further than seven furlongs, but if he does stay then all evidence of his previous form does suggest that he will be heavily involved in the finish.
I am going to chuck in the favourite LORD CAMPARI for back-up purposes. Yes, he does need to improve plenty to trouble the two I’ve selected above who are rated much higher, but I was visually impressed with how he dealt with his opposition last time out at Newbury on just his second start, and we can expect plenty more improvement to come from him this afternoon knowing that the form has been advertised by the runner-up Tsar who won recently.
Selections: AL SUHAIL, MYSTERY POWER, LORD CAMPARI
14.25 – Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes – 1m5f
Aidan O’Brien could have a smart stayer on his hands with DAWN RISING who went into many punters notebooks when opening his account ten days ago by over ten lengths. I am not sure what the form is worth at this stage, but he couldn’t have done the job any easier, and this race looks like it has been the plan ever since. Ryan Moore rides him for the first time and the son of Galileo should be able to continue his upward curve of form.
I thought AL DABARAN ran very well to finish third at Royal Ascot last time out considering he entered unknown territory when he stepped up an extra five furlongs from the races he had previously contested. Indeed, I thought the opening 7/2 in places was a fair enough price for him here, but I think that price tag will shorten race-time. The value of form for his third last time out has been well advertised with the winner Santiago going on to claim the Irish Derby.
It is clear to see that is the best form on offer and in theory, should be favourite for this race based on that form. He is lightly-raced and possesses the scope to do even better, while his proven stamina has now been confirmed. So taking all this into account, it’s not hard to envisage him serving it up to Dawn Rising and going close to collecting the prize for his in-form handler.
Selections: DAWN RISING, AL DABARAN
15.09 – Group 2 July Stakes – 6f
Another superb and highly-competitive race to round off my Newmarket betting preview.
QUAADER should take plenty of beating here on the back of his encouraging second in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. His fluent, smooth-travelling style of racing is one of the best assets you can have in these sort of races, and with much more to come from him, he should play a leading role with Jim Crowley coming here for a strong book of rides. The fact that he has done that instead of going to York is worth monitoring, so his mount can be added on our ticket.
One of the biggest eye-catchers at Royal Ascot came from YAZAMAN who has to come into the equation here based on his excellent second in the Windsor Castle Stakes. He was held-up at the back of the field and finished the race so strongly considering he was hampered at one stage which evidently cost him the race. I was visually impressed with how the William Haggas trained two-year-old coped with the race on just his second career outing, especially with the way he sliced through the near the entire field like a knife through bread to be thrusting on the winner with every stride.
Form-wise, Yazaman should be favourite for this race without a shadow of doubt, so his current odds about 9/2 looks more than generous by most bookmakers. He was pulled out of a race last week, presumably when it became apparent the ground was too slow for him. On the face of it, today’s better ground will be right up his street, so it wouldn’t be difficult to envisage him gaining revenge on Tactical while also staking his claim to be an above-average sprinter for connections.
Selections: QAADER, YAZAMAN
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