The feature meeting on Super Saturday is the July Cup card at Newmarket, which also features a top juvenile contest (Superlative Stakes), and loads of top handicap action headlined by the Bunbury Cup.
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Racing Post betting editor Keith Melrose previews Saturday’s card at Newmarket exclusively for MansionBet.
1.15 Newcastle – Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
The average RPR on winners of this race is a whopping 86, which none of this field can yet boast. Calm Skies has got closer than most (79) and was clearly green on her debut over this course and distance. With natural improvement to come, she looks likely to meet the standard this habitually warm maiden commands.
Selection: Calm Skies @ 11/8
2.05 Newmarket – Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies’ Handicap
Nebulosa was last seen in late-May at Haydock, when she travelled well for a long way in the Silver Bowl before weakening right out of it. The ground was heavy that day, which might have been the issue and she had won with the promise of more to come at Goodwood the time before. Give her another chance.
Selection: Nebulosa @ 15/2
2.40 Newmarket – Mile Handicap
While my normal approach is to try and get unexposed handicap debutants beaten in warm races like this, it looks to be futile here. Royal Fleet impressed with his finishing speed and control exercised over his rivals when winning at Yarmouth last time. He gave plenty of weight to the placed horses that day, both of whom have won since, and looks like he could be challenging for black type later this year. If those impressions are correct, he is surely chucked in off 93.
Selection: Royal Fleet @ 11/8
3.15 Newmarket – Superlative Stakes (Group 2)
Dhabab went off favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He would probably never have beaten Berkshire Shadow that day, but without the interference he suffered he might well have finished second given he was beaten only a length for that position. He has half a stone on this field on RPRs, even just on the bare form of what he achieved at Ascot, and it a rightful favourite in among some that admittedly could have more long-term improvement.
Selection: Dhabab @ 15/8
3.50 Newmarket – Bunbury Cup (Heritage Handicap)
Although Fundamental is making his eighth racecourse appearance, this will be his first in a handicap. With a couple of excusable exceptions he has improved with every run, which is exactly what would be expected at this stage from a son of Integral. He looked just shy of Group class when fifth in the Jersey at Royal Ascot, but it would not take much more improvement to go very close in even this top handicap off a mark of 100.
Selection: Fundamental @ 13/2
4.25 Newmarket – Darley July Cup Stakes (Group 1)
There is no standout in the July Cup this year, although I would have time for the argument that says Rohaan deserves to be right among the favourites. More attractive at the prices is Supremacy, who is priced up with more or less the outsiders on the power of one disappointing run on his reappearance. Even a repeat of his two-year-old form, when he beat Guineas third Lucky Vega in the Middle Park with the pair well clear, would give him a chance of getting placed and any improvement would make him a win contender.
Selection: Supremacy @ 16/1
5.00 Newmarket – Handicap
Last time at Newbury, Amir Kabir finished third beaten two necks and was 11 lengths clear of the fourth. Soft ground makes that somewhat less impressive than it sounds, but it is still true that he might have deserved more than a 2lb rise in the weights for his efforts. He also came from further back to contest the finish, which offers the prospect of improvement to come without him having to physically improve.
Selection: Amir Kabir @ 5/1
*All odds correct at time of writing