Newmarket’s high-quality July Festival kicks off on Thursday afternoon, with the Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes highlighting the seven-race offering from Headquarters.
Racing at Newmarket is from 1.20pm-4.45pm and you can watch all the action via live streaming when logged into MansionBet – alongside every race from the UK and Ireland. Our tipster marks your card for the opening afternoon on the July Course.
1.20 – British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (6f)
Having finished fourth over C&D on debut a fortnight ago, PRINCESS SHABNAM is fancied to build on that positive first experience and force her way into the reckoning for Tom Marquand in this afternoon’s Newmarket opener.
Well-bred newcomers like Lovely Mana, Snooze N You Lose and Storm Dancer need close monitoring amongst the opposition.
Selection: Princess Shabnam @ 13/2
1.50 – Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3, 1m5f)
The very promising Stowell heads the betting on foot of his Queen’s Vase third at Royal Ascot last time, just his third racecourse start. He’s got plenty scope for better but GEAR UP was a Group 1 winner last season and has faced tough tasks in three runs this term.
He drops in class and tackles a new trip now and the Mark Johnston inmate is some value against the likely favourite.
Selection: Gear Up @ 11/2
2.25 – Tattersalls July Stakes (Group 2, 6f)
Both Eldrickjones and PROJECT DANTE emerged from Royal Ascot with immense credit after running big races in the Coventry and Norfolk Stakes respectively.
They should go well and the manner in which Bryan Smart’s son of Showcasing was finishing after meeting trouble in running strongly hints that this increased 6f trip will be to his liking. He’s got rock-solid claims and should improve again.
Selection: Project Dante @ 3/1
3.00 – Each Way Extra At bet365 Handicap (Heritage Handicap, 6f)
Plenty recent winners in this line-up and the likes of Whenthedealinsdone, Akkeringa and Mitrosonfire all command respect in their current moods.
At a massive price, however, maybe SEVEN BROTHERS can run well for Kevin Ryan. He won at Doncaster on his comeback and encountered traffic woes here in May on his next start.
His latest York run was a letdown, but first-time blinkers are deployed now and it’s not inconceivable he could snare some place money.
Selection: Seven Brothers @ 66/1
3.35 – Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes (Group 2)
He lost out in a head-bob to Pyledriver in the Coronation Cup at Epsom last month but AL AASY lost little else in defeat in that Group 1 contest, as the pair pulled right away from their rivals.
His earlier successes in Group 3s at Newbury this season were deeply impressive and he very much looks like the top-level performer taking his chance in a lower grade. He should justify cramped odds for William Haggas and Jim Crowley.
Selection: Al Aasy @ 8/15
4.10 – Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (Listed, 1m)
The unbeaten Baaeed looks a really promising performer for William Haggas and fully warrants his shot in this grade after wins at Leicester and here last month.
The son of Sea The Stars could be more than capable, but MAXIMAL has the strongest form on offer.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Galileo colt was smart last year and his recent St James’s Palace Stakes fourth at Royal Ascot was a career-best in defeat. Dropping in class now, Ryan Moore’s mount may claim the scalp of Baaeed.
Selection: Maximal @ 9/4
4.45 – John Deere Handicap (1m)
Path Of Thunder sports first-time blinkers and has a strong claim for Godolphin on the back of runner-up efforts at Newbury and Chelmsford this season, while Leicester winner Legendary Day is on the up for Hughie Morrison and Oisin Murphy and worth considering.
EPIC ENDEAVOUR was second-best in a good Windsor contest over this distance last month for the William Muir/Chris Grassick team and, from only 1lb higher, should give another solid account of himself.
Selection: Epic Endeavour @ 11/1
*All odds correct at time of writing