This Saturday’s live ITV Racing comes from three different courses, featuring a bumper eight races. Goodwood, Haydock and York will all have contests screened live, and GG have dissected each ante-post market, alongside Betfair‘s new customer offer of £20 Back As Cash if your first be loses.
Tranquil Night (1.45 Goodwood) 4/1
While there look set to be a number of recent and progressive winners in this lineup, the safe bet remains on the shortest priced of those.
Godolphin’s TRANQUIL NIGHT has been made to earn his keep among Charlie Appleby’s superstars. He made a promising enough debut at Yarmouth last autumn, but not enough to be considered among their very leading lights. He was gelded subsequently, although his three results since perhaps frank that decision.
He won two all-weather races this winter at Kempton, setting him up for his return to turf upon the season’s opening. He took to Newmarket’s Rowley Mile last month and beat Outgate on his first handicap start, off a mark of 84, by 3¾ lengths.
That form could not have been boosted any better, as Outgate won at Chester’s May meeting off a 3lb higher mark than when second to Tranquil Night that day. That makes the son of Invincible Spirit’s 11lb rise look far more manageable. It should be noted that he is also entered in Haydock’s Silver Bowl (more on that in a bit), but this looks the winnable opportunity for him, albeit down a furlong in trip.
BACK TRANQUIL NIGHT AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Merveillo (2.00 Haydock) 33/1
This could prove a wild swing and a miss, but there is something very intriguing about MERVEILLO’s profile, as well as his price, in this 2m handicap.
A Listed winner when trained in France, he was also third at that level to the very useful Manobo, who is currently favourite for the Coronation Cup. Both came over 1m4f, but last autumn, some sudden changes looked like taking him into a different racing sphere entirely.
Firstly, he was purchased by J.P.McManus, not usually a flat racing connoisseur. Nor is his new trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, so the expectation early would surely have been to turn him into a juvenile hurdler, as he is now a four-year-old. However, that did not materialise and instead, he made his stable and British debut in a flat handicap at Newbury last month. He finished that race in fourth to the likely well-handicapped Ahorsewithnoname, runner-up in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
That came off a heady enough rating in the circumstances and he has been dropped a further 3lb to a mark of 94. For a Listed winner who clearly possesses stamina enough to be considered a National Hunt type, that does not look huge in the context of this race.
Not many of his rivals suggest that they are well ahead of their current marks, but if better for his recent run, there is definitely a chance Merveillo could be.
BACK MERVEILLO AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Movin Time (2.15 Goodwood) 6/1
Having only raced six times under rules, it is fair to expect that MOVIN TIME could easily have more in his locker for Roger Varian.
Second on both his runs at two, he won a Newmarket maiden on his first start at three last May. That proved to be very useful form, as the runner-up was future Queen’s Vase winner Kemari and he was left trailing four lengths in his wake.
Subsequent efforts proved to be in hot company too, as he was fifth to Mohaafeth in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot before bumping into Real World in a Newbury Listed race next time out. His fourth place in that race turned out to be his final run of the season.
However, he travelled notably strongly in that race, fading only late on, which may have given connections the wrong impression that he needed dropping in trip. Back down to 1m1f, he was only sixth in handicap company on his reappearance, but he was very fresh beforehand, then missed the break. Going back up to 1m2f looks wise and the balance of his efforts gives him a good chance at this level eventually.
BACK MOVIN TIME AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Mighty Ulysses (2.35 Haydock) 5/2
Even allowing for a recent 6lb penalty, MIGHTY ULYSSES should take some stopping if on song for Haydock’s Silver Bowl handicap.
His sire’s first crop are proving particularly useful, with Piz badile a live chance for the Derby. John and Thady Gosden clearly wanted to see where their prospects lay for that race with this boy, as they ran him in Epsom’s Listed Blue Riband Trial last month.
However, with his stamina looking like it gave out over 1m2f, it is no surprise any Classic plans were shelved. Dropped back to 1m at Newmarket last week, he found his mojo again, cruising clear for a 4½-length success in novice company in a manner similar to his debut success last season.
He now holds a mark of 101, but he continues to hold a Group 1 entry in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot next month. He is clearly highly thought of and the manner of his wins over 1m suggest he could make a laughing stock of this opening handicap mark.
There may be some other dangerous up-and-comers here, but Mighty Ulysses is surely a Group horse in a handicap here.
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Atalis Bay (2.55 York) 10/1
Both Fine Wine and Alligator Alley were recent combatants over this trip at York. That nine-day break and 10lb swing could easily sway things in favour of the latter if they were to both race again this weekend.
However, preference would be for ATALIS BAY under top weight, as he may find himself well-treated for handicap company. Since the start of 2021, he has only competed in such an event once, when a close third at Haydock off 1lb higher than his current mark.
He otherwise competed entirely in open and Pattern company. Robert Cowell’s charge claimed Listed honours at Sandown last June, when trained by Marco Botti, having been second at the same level over this course and distance the month before. The only horse who beat him that day was future Nunthrope heroine Winter Power.
That suggested he can regularly go very well at this track and his last two runs are forgiven. He has now raced in Group 3 company on four occasions and been well-held in all of them, but at least on his comeback he blazed a trail to try and be competitive.
With more patient tactics back in much calmer waters, he can be very dangerous once again: his record on turf at Listed level or below reads 3111213.
BACK TRANQUIL NIGHT AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Lusail (3.10 Haydock) 5/1
The Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes regularly produces a winner who goes on to score in Group 1 company. Every winner between 2016 and 2019 did just that.
Go Bears Go looks an obvious candidate after his comeback win in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot, especially after having been second at the Breeders’ Cup last November. However, it is a surprise in the early markets that LUSAIL is not challenging him for favouritism.
He won twice at Group 2 level last term, both coming over 6f. His only big disappointment as a juvenile came when last of four in Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes, but having been keen, it is reasonable to expect he did not see out that trip as a young horse.
His second to Perfect Power on return in the Greenham Stakes was a solid piece of form and there looked to be more to come from him. He was then sixth in the 2000 Guineas despite being on the wrong side of the draw and a multitude of things going wrong for him.
Dropping back to 6f may not be ideal on that evidence, but he still possesses bundles of raw pace and looks the value to emerge as the class horse.
BACK LUSAIL AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Native Trail (3.20 Curragh) 4/11
Such an extreme swing in terms of the draw almost certainly ensured Coroebus victory over NATIVE TRAIL in the 2000 Guineas. Had there been even the slightest difference, the son of Oasis Dream would likely have remained unbeaten.
Racing sometimes works in fickle and frustrating ways, but William Buick probably did not rue the decision too much. The yard surely felt, and may well still feel, that Native Trail is the superstar and it would be no wonder. He had been barnstorming on his previous three starts.
He landed two Group 1s in supreme fashion as a juvenile and was by some way Europe’s start two-year-old. He returned to win the Craven Stakes, in preparation for the Guineas, by 3½ lengths despite looking less than 100% fit.There is no such draw bias at the Curragh this weekend, with him drawn right on the inside rail. Only Buckaroo amounts to the quality of opposition provided by some of the principals at Newmarket. Native trail still looks more substantial though and can earn the Classic win he deserves.
BACK NATIVE TRAIL AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Eileendover (3.30 York) 7/1
If declared and on a going day, Search For A Song would take some beating for Dermot Weld. However, when many expected her to give Stradivarius a serious race in the Yorkshire Cup, she clinically underperformed in finishing only fourth.
This newfound unpredictability makes her worthy of taking on regardless of the uncertainty of her participation. Believe In Love either runs to a very high level or blows out completely, so she is difficult to confidently fancy either.
As such, EILEENDOVER is worth chancing for Pam Sly. Though she began her career as a very smart bumper performer, she has largely been able to transfer her form to the flat as well. Though she has not quite made her mark in Pattern company yet, she has not been disgraced over trips between 1m4f-1m6f in hot races.
For example, she was third of four to Truehsan on return. She beat Yaxeni that day, who subsequently eased to victory ahead of Mighty Blue back in Ireland next time out. However, Joseph O’Brien’s mare is remarkably a shorter price than Eileendover here.
Even allowing for that collateral form being a one off, the five-year-old is consistent enough to be given a very fair chance in a race lacking superstars.
BACK EILEENDOVER AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
Winter Power (3.45 Haydock) 6/4
Though last season ended with a bit of a whimper, tearaway Nunthorpe champion WINTER POWER looks to have a very good chance of getting back to winning ways at Haydock on Saturday.
The Group 2 Temple Stakes, over 5f, was often a comeback platform for Battaash, himself a two-time winner of the Nunthorpe. Winter Power herself was very impressive on her return last season, scoring by three lengths in Listed company despite a 5lb penalty for winning a Group 3 as a juvenile.
Though the King’s Stand Stakes came too quickly for her, she returned to York to win another Listed race before soaring to victory at Group 1 level. Trips to the Curragh and Longchamp proved fruitless, but there were excuses on both occasions.
A slight doubt is that all three wins came on the Knavesmire for her last term, but she won at Redcar, Ayr and Newmarket as a two-year-old as well. As long as the ground is sound enough, she is capable of a very fast performance and few would live with her if she returns near her best.
BACK WINTER POWER AND MONEY BACK UP TO £20
ITV Racing Selections
Tranquil Night (1.45 Goodwood) 4/1
Merveillo (2.00 Haydock) 33/1
Movin Time (2.15 Goodwood) 6/1
Mighty Ulysses (2.35 Haydock) 5/2
Atalis Bay (2.55 York) 10/1
Lusail (3.10 Haydock) 5/1
Eileendover (3.30 York) 7/1
Winter Power (3.45 Haydock) 6/4
