There’s a bumper eight races taking place in front of the ITV Racing cameras on Saturday and the majority of the action comes from Newmarket and Ascot, with the feature race being the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at 2:40pm. Our in-house tipster previews the racing and picks out his best bets for the live terrestrial action…
1:30pm Newmarket – British EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap
The hat trick-seeking Min Huna is the one to beat in the 1:30pm at Newmarket, but the 8lbs rise for a decent win at Sandown means the William Haggas-trained filly will have more to do on Saturday and it could leave the door ajar for Andrew Balding’s WARDA JAMILA, who looks the value play against the likely favourite.
A short-head winner herself last time out at Haydock, the three-year-old stayed on in very taking fashion to land that prize and she could quite easily defy a 4lbs rise. Oisin Murphy will take the ride and he won’t want to be too far back in this contest, but if she can replicate that good to soft win then she can make it back-to-back wins.
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Matthew Sutcliffe’s Value Bets – A Look Ahead to Saturday’s Racing
With a look ahead to this weekend’s meetings at Ascot, Newmarket and Redcar, here are Matty Sutcliffe’s early thoughts and best bets. Published: 2.35pm, Tuesday, October 1st (Odds correct at time of writing) Weekend Recap Last Saturday was probably foreshadowed by the two seconds we had at Newmarket on the Thursday, with both of those…
Thu 03 Oct 20242:25pm Ascot – Bet MGM Cumberland Lodge Stakes
A winner of this race 12 months ago, Al Qareem is attempting to retain his Cumberland Lodge Stakes crown at 2:25pm at Ascot, but Karl Burke’s charge will have a brace of William Haggas-trained runners to contend with in Hamish and AL AASY, and it’s the latter that can down the Burke charge in a fascinating renewal of this Group 3 event.
Wins in the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood and Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, Al Aasy has managed to find some consistency this term and while he was a disappointing fifth in this race last season, he can bounce back here. He will have to give 3lbs to Al Qareem, which isn’t ideal, but he is a proven class act at this level and he can make it three wins on the bounce in this contest.
2:40pm Newmarket – Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes
John & Thady Gosden’s classy duo of INSPIRAL and Nashwa line up in the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at 2:40pm and it’s the former that can retain the crown she won in stunning fashion last season. She won by nearly four lengths in the 2023 renewal and while she will have a lively adversary in the shape of Tamfana, Inspiral has shown that she blossoms at the end of the season and she can claim victory once again.
Last seen finishing third in the Prix Jacques Le Marois in France, Inspiral produced her best run of the season in that Group 1 event and now into October she can deliver the goods once again. On her day she has a blistering turn of foot and she can show that again on Saturday at Newmarket.
3:00pm Ascot – John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes
Ed Walker’s ENGLISH OAK was propelled into the limelight with a brilliant three-length success in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot over seven furlongs and he was then expected to deliver the goods in Group company in the second half of the season. However, he’s struggled out of handicap company, but the return to Ascot on Saturday for the Bengough Stakes at 3:00pm can see him return to winning ways.
Second in a Listed event at Newbury last month, the three-year-old will drop back to six furlongs for Saturday’s event, which is very eye-catching, and while the likes of Purosangue and Adaay In Devon are proven classy sprinters, English Oak could just have a little too much class for his rivals.
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