Saturday’s ITV Racing Tips – All nine races covered on July Cup day
Viewers have nine race to take in on ITV on Saturday afternoon
The July Cup is the Group One feature
The Bunbury Cup also comes to us live from Newmarket
We also have four live race to enjoy from Ascot
Mohaather heads the market for the Group Two Summer Mile
Newmarket's July Meeting. (Getty)
We take a look at each of Saturday's nine televised races and provide readers with our ITV Racing tips for Saturday 11th July.
ITV Viewers have a bumper afternoon of action to enjoy on Saturday, with the July Cup headlining proceedings on day three of the July Festival. Without further ado, let's get stuck into Saturday's ITV Racing tips!
Saturday’s ITV Racing Schedule
Time
Racecourse
Title
1:50pm
Newmarket
bet365 Mile Handicap (Class 2) 1m
2:05pm
Ascot
Betfred "Ascot Official Bookmaker" Fillies' Handicap (Class 3) 1m
2:25pm
Newmarket
British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap (Class 2) 7f
2:40pm
Ascot
"Play Nifty Fifty Exclusively At Betfred" Handicap (Class 2) 1m4f
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FINEST SOUND ran into a very good quality rival in Khaloosy at Royal Ascot, and was forced to settle for a distant second in the Britannia. It was still a fine performance from Roger Varian’s well-backed colt, and he’s had his rating pushed right up to 94 as a result.
I remain confident this sort of mark is not beyond Finest Sound, and Silvestre De Sousa’s mount has some excellent form on softer ground to bolster his claims. I think the favourite will take all the beating.
We saw during the Royal Meeting how horses drawn high seemed to have a massive advantage. The stalls for Saturday’s meeting will begin on the stands’ rail, the opposite to how they were set up last month, so low numbers could be favoured during this meeting.
The support is there for Melnikova but I prefer the chances of DECLARED INTEREST. Ralph Beckett’s filly ran a solid race at Royal Ascot, finishing fifth behind Onassis in the Sandringham Handicap. Rob Hornby has ridden Declared Interest before, and she’s certainly not in the grip of the handicapper on her current mark.
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After my initial selection, Spring Of Love came out, I'm left looking for an alternative. With no-one at the head of the betting offering much in the way of appeal, I'm going to take a punt on NASAIYM at a double-figure price.
James Tate's filly finished second to a good sort on debut, before winning a novice race on softish ground at Newbury. Nasaiym was then well-beaten in a Group Two, before finishing a distant fourth behind Quadrilateral.
Nasaiym crossed the line just a neck behind Melnikova - favourite for the previous race - that day, and had her official mark dropped by three pounds as a result. She could be a big danger on her first start after a wind-op.
Spring Of Love wins The Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket in October. (Getty)
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This doesn’t look to be a very strong handicap, and the one best-treated at the weights is certainly CELESTRAN. John Gosden’s charge was fancied in the Cocked Hat Stakes last time out, but had no answer as Khalifa Sat and Emissary set out for home.
The form of that Listed race was boosted when the winner finished second in the Epsom Derby, and Rab Havlin’s mount will be gaining eight pounds on his main market rival.
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Four unbeaten colts head the market for this year’s Superlative Stakes, and I’m going to side with Aidan O’Brien’s HUDSON RIVER. You always have to sit up and take note when one of Aidan’s wins first time out, and Hudson River scored in good style under Seamie Heffernan at the Curragh last month.
Ryan Moore’s mount is out of the great Galileo, but he’s also the first foal to come out of top sprinter Mecca’s Angel – a Group One winner in 2016, who also claimed major honours on soft ground. Hudson River looks to be the one to side with.
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Four runners from last month’s Queen Anne Stakes reoppose in this Group Two, with Mohaather the one the bookies have latched on to. I was on SKARDU that day, and William Haggas’ charge enjoyed a similarly luckless passage as Mohaather, so I’m surprised to see such a disparity between the two in the betting.
Skardu was returning from 300-days off the track that day, and was also running on soft ground for the first time. James Doyle held his mount up off the pace, and found his path blocked twice at crucial stages as he tried to work his way into contention.
Tom Marquand takes the ride this time around, and I’m confident Skardu will have come on from that Royal run. He looks an excellent bet to me at 15/2.
Skardu (second left), Mohaather (second left) and Marie's Diamond (Fourth left) running in the Queen Anne Stakes. (Getty)
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National Anthem and Ornate are likely to cut out the running on the stands’ rail, but there’s also plenty of early pace drawn more towards the centre of the track between stalls 11 and 15. This could play into the hands of APLOMB, who will want to get there fast and late over the minimum trip, and is placed well to do just that in stall 17.
William Haggas’ charge was a little outpaced on fast ground when he made his reappearance at Newmarket. Aplomb was then very well backed in the Silver Wokingham, but couldn’t make enough late headway from a tricky middle draw and could only cross the line seventh. Tom Marquand’s mount remains very well handicapped and any easing in the ground will do his chances no harm at all.
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I tipped Motakhayyel at a big price when he won the Buckingham Palace Handicap at Royal Ascot, where he was clearly really well-handicapped. Richard Hannon’s charge is up to a career-high mark of 105 for that success and the bookmakers clearly don’t fancy taking him on. I, however, feel there’s value to be found behind the market leader in the heritage handicap, and my money is going to be on BLOWN BY WIND.
PJ McDonald was in the saddle as Blown By Wind beat Pogo in a seven-furlong handicap during the Guineas Festival. Mark Johnston’s charge then had no chance in the Buckingham Palace Stakes after a shocking draw in stall one. Blown By Wind bounced back from that defeat with an excellent showing back at Newmarket two weeks ago, where he lost out to Arigato by just a length.
Blown By Wind was giving his rival a stone-and-a-half that day. He received an RPR of 112 for that performance, but the handicapper has decided to drop his official mark by a pound. Horses towards the higher end of the handicap have enjoyed success in the Bunbury Cup and, although he’s again been drawn in stall one, being drawn against a rail is not a bad thing on the July course.
Finest Sound1:50pm Newmarket bet365 Mile Handicap (Class 2) 1mGET 9/4 HERE
Declared Interest2:05pm Ascot Betfred "Ascot Official Bookmaker" Fillies' Handicap (Class 3) 1mGET 5/1 HERE
Nasaiym E/W2:25pm Newmarket British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Handicap (Class 2) 7fGET 10/1 HERE
Celestran2:40pm Ascot "Play Nifty Fifty Exclusively At Betfred" Handicap (Class 2) 1m4fGET 11/8 HERE
Skardu3:15pm Ascot Betfred Summer Mile Stakes (Group 2) 1mGET 15/2 HERE
Aplomb E/W3:50pm Ascot Betfred Heritage Handicap (Class 2) 5fGET 10/1 HERE
