Friday’s tips
- Heraldry (Newmarket, 13:50) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Ladbrokes)
- Wine Dark Sea (Newmarket, 15.00) – 4pts win @ 11/10 (Bet365)
- Jancis (Newmarket, 15.35) – 0.5pts each-way @ 16/1 (Bet365)
- Tatterstall (Newmarket, 16.45) – 1pt each-way @ 7/1 (William Hill)
It’s ‘Falmouth Friday’ at Newmarket’s July Festival and horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has been run the rule over a cracking card and come up with several selections using the best odds from betting sites.
Oddschecker Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (13.50, Newmarket)
A remarkably small field for a race of its type but it’s still very competitive with what looks a compressed market.
You can make cases out for several, including the ante-post favourite Princling, who has been competitive in similar races but is just 1-4 and dual handicap winner Laureate Crown, who’ll have a bit to prove over this far.
Evanesco is feared, as he dominated a five-runner field on the Rowley Course earlier in the season and could get his own way out front. However, I do like the look of one of the handicap newcomers, HERALDRY, in particular.
William Buick gets on board for the ride for the first time on the Gosden-trained three-year-old, who I think can eke out a fair bit more than his current official mark of 89.
He got up late to win a Kempton maiden (1m, AW) on his reappearance, before the reopposing Decade Of Time got first run on him and made it count at Windsor (1m, good to firm). He now has a 10lb pull with that opponent and he’d be very unlucky to meet with traffic issues in this field, so a small play on him improving is suggested.
Friday racing tip 1: Heraldry (Newmarket, 13:50) – 1pt win @ 7/2 (Ladbrokes)
Betway Trophy (Heritage Handicap) (15.00, Newmarket)
The in-form WINE DARK SEA is a confident selection here and unless he has an off-day he should be capable of bettering his nine opponents.
Harry Charlton’s gelding has won three times from five attempts in handicaps and is going from strength to strength this season. His reappearance effort was an impressive Ascot success (1m4f, good to firm) in a deep enough race, before he bolted up at odds-on at Carlisle (1m3f, good to firm) last time.
He’s got a 6lb penalty to defy but when you consider he’s due to go up by 11lb shortly, he still looks very well treated. The step up in trip is something he’ll have to prove he can handle but there is stamina on the dam’s side of his pedigree and so there’s more than just hope he can see it out to justify his price on betting apps.
Friday racing tip 2: Wine Dark Sea (Newmarket, 15.00) – 4pts win @ 11/10 (Bet365)
Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Falmouth Stakes (Group 1) (15.35, Newmarket)
If you’re looking for the winner of this cracking contest then I think the most likely one to do so is the odds-on favourite Precise, who is enjoying a super season and has a 9lb weight for age allowance on her side.
As an older horse, Blue Bolt has to shoulder the full 9st 9lb, as does JANCIS, who I think is a juicy price at 16/1 and, although we’re only playing for two places, that may be underestimating her.
She was less than 2l behind Blue Bolt in Royal Ascot’s Duke Of Cambridge Stakes and she gets a 3lb pull with that much shorter priced opponent, while I tipped Balantina to make the frame in the Coronation Stakes (won by Precise) but she got warm beforehand and weakened out of it late on after running a good race.
It’s only a very small stakes play on horse racing betting sites but the selection has really improved this year and may not have reached her ceiling just yet.
Friday racing tip 3: Jancis (Newmarket, 15.35) – 0.5pts each-way @ 16/1 (Bet365)
Debenhams Handicap (16.45, Newmarket)
This isn’t the easiest race to solve, with Our Cody (Ryan Moore booked), Rocking Ends and Rosario all runners with some potential at this Class 3 level but it could be worth siding with topweight TATTERSTALL (Michael Dods/Connor Beasley) on an each-way basis.
His prominent style of racing suits this venue and he’s acquitted himself well in two starts this campaign, being a close third when 1lb lower at Thirsk (5f, good to firm) in May, before being a neck second at Hamilton (5f, good to firm) last time in a race that is working out well.
Back up 3lb, he is still well treated on his form of not so long ago and he certainly looks capable of making the frame again and possibly even proving good enough to earn a first win since Glorious Goodwood nearly two years ago (he’s only raced five times since).
Friday racing tip 4: Tatterstall (Newmarket, 16.45) – 1pt each-way @ 7/1 (William Hill)
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