Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Newmarket, York and Musselburgh on Saturday. View selections below.
SUEGIOO (3.50) looks just the type of stayer required to lift the Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket. Marco Botti’s gelding has shown rock-solid form in two big-field handicaps already this season, lifting the Chester Cup and chasing home Angel Gabrial in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle. Suegioo again performed with credit at Doncaster’s St Leger fixture, staying on in third behind improving Stomachion, and looks primed to run a big one. The slight misgiving is the lack of rain over the past few days as Suegioo is at his very best with some cut underfoot. With this in mind, each-way savers are advised at loud prices on Teak and Jonny Delta. Teak loves fast ground and won’t fail through lack of stamina. The seven-year-old has been in the form of his life for Ian Williams, winning over 3m 2f at Plumpton and hosing up at Bath over 2m 1f from in-form See And Be Seen. Jonny Delta sneaks in at the very foot of the handicap and finished a creditable seventh in last year’s Cesarewitch, despite running into trouble two out. With most firms offering five places, the Scottish raider could well outrun his massive odds and it is worth recalling that Scatter Dice was a 66-1 ‘rag’ when winning 12 months ago.
The Betfred TV Stakes is one of the best three-year-old middle-distance handicaps on the calendar and, with 24 runners going to post, it’s something of a minefield for punters. Impressive Royal Ascot winner Battersea fairly bounced off the fast summer ground but Newmarket in the autumn is unlikely to ride quite so quick, so he is somewhat reluctantly passed over. Mark Johnston excels in these type of races and FIRE FIGHTING (3.10) should give it a real go, despite shouldering top weight. He has finished only once out of the frame (slowly away at Chester) in his last 10 outings, the latest coming over course and distance last Saturday when making Godolphin’s unexposed Winter Thunder pull out the stops (pair clear). Mistiroc enjoys a nice weight pull with Fire Fighting on their Ayr running and could go well at fancy odds.
The ground should ride a good bit easier at York where AETNA (3.30) is all the rage in the Coral Sprint Trophy. She loves the track, having hammered Wokingham winner Baccarat and Blaine on the Knavesmire back in May, and could be deemed an unlucky loser on her comeback run at Newmarket, when stumbling coming out of the Dip and finding herself short of room on the run to the line. Aetna is almost certain to go off at shortish odds and for backers seeking an each-way investment at bigger odds, look no further than the admirable Spinatrix. She is another sprinter to relish soft ground and, when conditions are in her favour, is rarely out of the frame.
CAPE TRIBULATION (4.45) catches the eye in the 2m 2f handicap. Malcolm Jefferson has kept his old boy under wraps for 134 days but that is of little concern as Cape Tribulation was returning from a 149-day absence when just pipped by John Gosden’s Mashaari in this same event in 2012 (soft). Cape Tribulation races off a 7lb lower mark here and David Probert is an interesting booking.
At Musselburgh, RIGHT OF APPEAL (3.35) should give a good account of himself in the Betfair Scottish Stayers’ Series Final. The Johnston-trained three-year-old ran a bit free and didn’t get home behind Sioux Chieftain at Catterick only four days ago, but Liam Jones should be able to find plenty of cover from stall one. Right Of Appeal meets some exposed opposition and a reproduction of his winning run last month at Hamilton, or his placed effort at Epsom under a 6lb penalty, will put him right into the mix.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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