Saturday racing tips: Best bets for 2,000 Guineas Day at Newmarket

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The first Classic of the season takes place this afternoon, headlining a fascinating card at Newmarket, which is where all five of my Saturday racing tips come from.

A competitive Listed contest on paper but it could be a good opportunity for FLORA OF BERMUDA to get back to winning ways, now that she drops in grade.

The Andrew Balding-trained five-year-old was below par when last seen in the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Ascot last October. That came on the back of a superb third in the Sprint Cup at Haydock the previous month.

She’d begun last season with a close second in York’s Group 2 Clipper Stakes and also made the frame in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

All those races were over 6f and on a sound or fast surface, so she’ll get the conditions that she relishes here. Off level weights with the rest of the field, I think she can underline her class and return from her winter break with a win.

Newmarket tip 1: Flora Of Bermuda – 2pts win @ 7/4 (William Hill)

Surprisingly, given the £100,000 prize pool, only ten have been declared for this sprint handicap and that may be on account of the presence of DOUBLE RUSH, who is a worthy odds-on favourite with betting sites to give Andrew Balding a double on the card.

The former Charles Hills inmate has won at the last two Craven meetings, both over C&D. The most recent of those, last month, was on his first start since joining the Balding team and it was emphatic.

Well backed, he loomed up about two furlongs out and then opened up like a sports car to leave his opponents trailing in his wake, winning by almost 5l. On the strength of that, he looks very well treated under his penalty and, if in the same mood, I expect him to underline that.

Ground conditions suit and his trainer has won two of the last five renewals of this race.

Newmarket Tip 2: Double Rush – 4pts win @ 10/11 (Ladbrokes)

This looks to be a cracking sprint on paper, the market headed by Asfoora, who won last season’s Group 1 Nunthorpe and Prix de l’Abbaye prizes and is a sprinter out of the top drawer. He’s changed trainers since that latter success, joining Lemos De Souza.

His runners are not in red hot form at present and so it may be possible to take on Asfoora first time out and we’re going to do so with QUINAULT, backing him on an each-way basis on horse racing betting sites.

Stuart Williams’ gelding is as tough as old boots and just loves a scrap. He is equally effective over a stiff 6f or an easy 7f and gets the former here.

He ran a really good race on his reappearance to be third in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes over C&D and his one and a half length third in the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Ascot last October shows he can mix it at this elite level.

He looks likely to be very competitive here and can be backed at an each-way price.

Newmarket Tip 3: Quinault – 1pt each-way @ 17/2 (bet365)

The season’s first Classic has quite an open look to it this time around, with 15 runners declared for the eight furlongs of the Rowley Mile.

Gstaad has been vying for market leadership with Bow Echo in recent days and that’s fair enough, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt showed the best form of these as a juvenile and has, of course, been supplemented after that withdrawal error.

The George Boughey-trained Bow Echo was unbeaten in three starts at two, culminating in a win in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes over C&D (good to firm) last September.

Craven winner Oxagon represents the Gosdens, while Greenham winner Alparslan will be saddled by Karl Burke and both are interesting are double figure prices. Charlie Appleby has a good recent record in the race and he has declared both King’s Trail, who has followed a similar route to his 2024 winner, Notable Speech, and DISTANT STORM.

I think it’s a tough race to be dogmatic about but I’m siding with the last-named, who won over 7f on both this track and the July course last season and was third to the ill-fated Gewan twice, including in the Dewhurst.

Appleby clearly has the knack of getting them right for this and he’s decided to bring the selection back to the track without a run, so he’ll doubtless have had him on a gallop at the track instead.

I think the step up in trip will be positive and he clearly goes well when fresh. He’s a bigger price than both Gstaad and Bow Echo on all betting apps, and I think that gives him a bit of a value edge. We can take him each-way as a bit of insurance but he may well prove good enough to win.

Newmarket Tip 4: Distant Storm – 1pt each-way @ 9/2 (Betfred)

Keep an eye out for any market moves for Bellum Justum in this. He won over C&D in a Group 2 this time last year and is beginning to look well treated on that form. However, the suggestion is GAMRAI.

Trained by the Gosdens, this four-year-old improved on his first start since being gelded, when winning a Kempton handicap (1m3f, AW) decisively in March. He left the impression that this extra furlong would be of benefit and I fancy we’ll see more from this unexposed offspring of Lope De Vega again this time.

Newmarket tip 5: Gamrai – 2pts win @ 5/2 (William Hill)

Each Saturday, Virgin Bet runs a money-back offer on one of the races shown on live ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the 13.45 at Newmarket, for which I’ve put up Double Rush.

If you decide to have a wager on that race and your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive your stake back in free bets.

There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.

Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to Virgin Bet punters.

If you plan to have a bet on the racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

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