It’s a really classy Saturday afternoon of racing and Newmarket’s July Course plays host to a fine card, headlined by the Group 3 Criterion Stakes and also featuring former St Leger winner Logician.
Action at Flat HQ is from 1.00pm-4.25pm and we’ve got expert selections to steer you through all seven races.
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1.00 – Close Brothers Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (7f)
Only three of these have run, with Kevin Ryan’s Tudor Queen hardly setting a high bar based on her Ripon third (6f, soft) 30 days ago, so no great shocks if one of the newcomers is good enough to bag the opening prize. Jockey bookings suggest Calm Skies (James Doyle) is preferred over fellow Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin inmate National Dance – both make appeal. So, too, do Inspiral for the Gosdens and Isemel for Richard Hannon but it’s been a good week for Simon & Ed Crisford. They have produced some excellent first-time-out winning 2YOs this term and ANOTHER ROMANCE could be their latest.
Selection: Another Romance @ 7/2
1.35 – Close Brothers Asset Finance Fillies’ Handicap (1m)
Roger Charlton reaches for a hood in his attempts to get Behold to settle early on. She’s got talent but need to learn to keep her powder dry for the finishing effort. ANGHAAM was a winner at Haydock early in the season over this trip and ran well here afterwards on the Rowley Course. She didn’t seem to completely relish 1m2f on her latest start at Salisbury but still finished a clear second. She should be in the mix for Richard Hannon under Dane O’Neill back down in trip.
Selection: Anghaam @ 3/1
2.05 – Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes (Listed, 6f)
A really talented bunch of fillies’ set to lock horns here, four of them once-raced winners with tons of potential and pretty much the entire field with something going for them. CACHET was impressive in winning her debut on the Rowley Course last month for George Boughey and Nicola Currie by more than five-lengths. She ran a hugely creditable fifth in the Albany at Royal Ascot on soft going last week and will have gleaned plenty from that experience. This faster surface is also a plus-point.
Selection: Cachet @ 11/2
2.40 – Close Brothers Fred Archer Stakes (Listed, 1m4f)
Desert Encounter showed his well-being in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot 10 days ago and will thrive here should LOGICIAN struggle but the former St Leger winner is fancied to get his career back on track. A shock to the system to see him turned over on soft ground at York last summer but his Group 3 Newbury return when third behind Al Aasy was an indication he retains plenty ability. This is less demanding for him and the promise of ‘good to firm’ ground can only be a positive. John & Thady Gosden’s five-year-old can outclass this field.
Selection: Logician @ 6/5
3.15 – Close Brothers Criterion Stakes (Group 3, 7f)
Kinross won a Haydock Group 3 last month in good style with some of these behind and is much-respected despite a 3lb penalty. Fast ground however is of some concern for Ralph Beckett’s Kingman gelding. Motakhayyel is a former C&D winner who will appreciate the surface and can be a big player but, at a massive price, MUMS TIPPLE is worth a chance. Richard Hannon’s four-year-old has pieced together good efforts in Listed company this year and a return to 6f at Salisbury this month seemingly didn’t work out. He’s got place claims back over this distance on what we’d seen prior to that.
Selection: Mums Tipple @ 20/1
3.50 – Close Brothers Fillies’ Handicap (1m4f)
Four of these fillies were victorious on their last start. Sayyida did it well on the other course here last month for Charlie Appleby and joins fellow handicap newcomer Franklet for Team Gosden in being much-respected but QUENELLE D’OR was well on top at Goodwood over this distance a fortnight ago and the daughter of Golden Horn is reunited with Oisin Murphy now (1-1 together). She may prove capable of defying a 5lb rise in the ratings.
Selection: Quenelle D’or @ 11/2
4.25 – Close Brothers Handicap (1m2f)
A tough finale. Willyorwon’t He has fine prospects based on his last-time-out second to Air To Air at Doncaster over a mile, stamina must be proven for Callum Shepherd’s mount here, however. Roger Charlton’s Encourage by contrast could improve for the longer trip in his attempts to shed the maiden tag. Hold-up performer HOTSPUR HARRY is potentially well-treated under Shane Kelly and the Zoffany gelding could sparkle here if they go fast enough for him early on. He’s a big price granted that scenario.
Selection: Hotspur Harry @ 16/1
*All odds correct at time of writing.
