Racing Chat- Friday 12th July

[The Brigadier]

Newmarket 1.50

Ten run in this £100,000 guaranteed class 2 heritage handicap for three year olds. The Johnston stable have an excellent record in the race over the years and their representative Candle Of Dubai has to be respected for that reason alone. The pick though has to be the Aidan O’Brien trained Chantilly who followed up an excellent third in the London Cup with a possible non staying eighth over a two furlong further trip at Royal Ascot in the King George V Handicap. Dropped in trip and on ground that should suit a lot better than at Ascot, Ryan Moore’s mount looks a solid each way bet. Charlie Appleby saddles a brace of runners in Royal Power and Endless Victory who are both making their handicap debuts with William Buick apparently choosing the former. They’ll be worth watching in the market but it has to be Chantilly for me especially if able to play with Betfred who are the only firm paying four places.

 

CHANTILLY 1 point each way @ 5/1 William Hill 1/5th 123

 

York 2.05

The first of two races covered by the ITV cameras at York is this eighteen runner 7F class 3 handicap. The race has a wide open look about with Brian Ellison’s Tolstoy coming here chasing a course and distance hat trick. He beat the re-opposing Quest For Fame by half a length last time on similar ground conditions and maybe the runner up that day has the better credentials today. Trained by Tim Easterby the six year old is now 5lb better off with his rival for that half a length beating and that should be more than enough to turn the tables and give the gelding every chance of going very close. He’s only 2lb higher than his last win which came at Catterick (heavy) last October by 5L and will have the assistance of David Allan here.

 

QUEST FOR FAME 1 point each way @ 8/1 William Hill 1/5th 12345

 

Newmarket 2.25

Eleven speedy female juveniles have declared for the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes run over 6F. There’s very little easy ground form to hand with arguably the best piece of form coming from the Aidan O’Brien trained Churchill filly Heavens Gate. She followed up a cosy Curragh maiden victory in May by chasing home her impressive stable mate Fairy Godmother in the Albany Stakes into third place (beaten a length) at Royal Ascot. She had the Godolphin runner Mountain Breeze just under 4L behind that day so holds her and she looks sure to run a big race with Queen Mary runner up Mighty Eriu who’s stepping up in distance another possible threat.

 

HEAVENS GATE 1 point win @ 4/1 bet365

 

York 2.40

The feature race of the day at York and the second of two races covered by terrestrial television is the William Hill Summer Stakes, a Group 3 contest for fillies and mares. The highest rated of the dozen runners is William Haggas’s Wokingham Handicap winner Unequal Love and she looks the one to be with. Ridden by Tom Marquand she won the big Ascot handicap under 9-7 by half a length and has form on both fast and easy ground. A winner of six of her ten career starts she looks sure to be involved in the finish. Owen Burrows’s Raqiya is an interesting runner but is best on a fast surface it seems whilst Rod Millman’s stable flag bearer Adaay In Devon steps up in trip again and can be competitive especially if there is dig in the ground. The one to be with however is Unequal Love.

 

UNEQUAL LOVE 1 point win @ 9/4 BetVictor

 

Newmarket 3.00

A dozen go to post for this £100,000 guaranteed class 2 heritage handicap run over 1M 6F. It doesn’t look the strongest of handicaps for the money and the two that catch my eye both ran at Royal Ascot in the Copper Horse Handicap. Sir Michael Stoute’s Fox Journey never got into the race and I’m sure is a lot better than that run showed beating only two of the sixteen home that day. 2 1/4L ahead of him was today’s top weight Beamish who was having only his second start for Archie Watson having previously been trained in Ireland by Paddy Twomey. He’s better on softer ground than the good to firm he ran on at Ascot and wasn’t disgraced in finishing a 6L eleventh. Dropped 2lb he looks a value each way play in a competitive handicap with James Doyle a positive jockey booking.

 

BEAMISH 1 point each way @ 8/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

Newmarket 3.35

Just seven have declared for the feature race of day two of the July meeting the Tattersalls Falmouth Sakes, a Group one contest for fillies and mares. The warm favourite is the Donnacha O’Brien trained Porta Fortuna who has been super consistent throughout her career having followed up a second in the 1000 Guineas by defeating the well fancied Opera Singer in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. She did win on her debut on heavy ground but is supposedly best on fast ground so the drier the ground gets the better her chance. She’s short enough with easy ground against I’m happy enough to take her on with Paddy Twomey’s A Lilac Rolla who will love any cut in the ground. She followed up a heavy ground Group 3 win at Leopardstown in April by finishing runner up to Fallen Angel in the Irish 1000 Guineas the following month. That form is comparable to Porta Fortuna and the three year olds may fight this out with preference for A Lilac Rolla who may well cope with conditions better.

 

A LILAC ROLLA 1 point win @ 9/2 William Hill

[richard-westwood]

150 Newmarket ...

CHANTILLY really should appreciate the conditions today ....only 9/2 available so I'll just go 5pt win