Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at York, Newcastle and Chester on Saturday. View selections below.
ARCHIVIST (1.55) can kick-start a successful day for William Haggas and Tom Marquand by scooping the one-mile handicap at York.
The three-year-old colt snapped a frustrating sequence of four runner-up slots by romping home by more than four lengths at Leicester 25 days ago, clearly appreciating the quicker ground that day.
Top weight Cadarn, a dual Redcar winner on a slick surface this season, races enthusiastically and could well set up the race for Archivist.
LAKE FOREST (2.25) will take some stopping for the Haggas yard in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes.
The colt found only Inisherin too good in the 2024 Commonwealth Cup and arrives here on the back of another solid Royal Ascot performance when finishing fifth in last week’s Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes won in dramatic fashion by Docklands.
Oisin Murphy gets the leg up on Andrew Balding’s three-year-old filly Formal, the conqueror of Saqqara Sands at Epsom. The form of that victory was given a boost at Carlisle in midweek when Saqqara Sands bolted up in lesser grade.
Paborus has won four of his last five outings for free-spending owners Wathnan Racing and Ed Bethell steps him up in grade.
HEATHEN (4.15), a five-time winner on artificial surfaces, can take full advantage of his lower mark on turf by bagging the 1m 6f handicap.
The David O’Meara-trained gelding was promoted to second when placed in the controversial Queen Mother’s Cup awarded to Chillingham and wins a narrow vote over Gravitas. Charlie Johnston’s three-year-old lowered the colours of odds-on Tarriance in a novice stakes at Doncaster 13 days ago and William Buick is booked on handicap debut.
DANCING IN PARIS (3.15) can call the tune in the competitive two-mile JenningsBet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle.
Ian Williams has a tremendous record in staying handicaps and his gelding arrives in great heart, having posted a close-up third to French Master at Goodwood last month.
The five-year-old was the decisive winner of a 1m 4f handicap at Southwell last August and is closely matched with better-fancied Who’s Glen on earlier form.
Last year’s victor, Onesmoothoperator, races off a 12lb higher perch and a bigger threat may be last month’s Chester Cup winner East India Dock, not beaten far in sixth behind Ascending at Royal Ascot.
Golden Rules, runner-up two years ago, returned from a 637-day absence to finish fourth at Kempton at the end of March and remains feasibly treated.
Willie Mullins relies on Pappano, a winner for the Gosden yard at Southwell last season but pulled up behind Mullins stablemate Poniros in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Tony Martin gave Zanndabad an eye-catching pipe-opener at the Curragh and will strip sharper with that outing under his belt.
At Chester, GHAIYYA (3.35) can make a winning handicap debut in an interesting 1m 4f contest.
My selection, an improving three-year-old from the Johnston stable, made all to plunder a maiden fillies’ stakes at Thirsk 11 days ago and similar forcing tactics can pay dividends.
Fellow three-year-old Arcturus Flame has found only one too strong at Ascot and Salisbury this month and may pose a stronger threat than top weight Bulldog Spirit, a wide-margin Nottingham winner last month.
Tally Ho
Alan
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NB. All odds shown are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
