Horse racing tips: Five best bets & odds for Friday at Newmarket

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All eyes are on Newmarket this week for the first big flat meeting of the season, with the three-day Guineas festival getting underway on Friday with a cracking card.

He won’t be much of a price on betting sites, but I’d be very surprised if POSEIDON’S WARRIOR does not prove good enough to win this race.

The form of his 1l second to Morshdi in last month’s Listed Fielden Stakes is much the best on offer here and, with just three starts under his belt, he’s still open to a fair bit more improvement.

The step up to 1m2f should help him show more still and he is taken to record a second win.

My Love Is King is the obvious potential danger. John and Thady Gosden’s colt is officially rated 14lb lower and, although the improvement he showed on his second start when a close second at Newbury (1m2f, good) suggests he’ll close the gap this time, it will be some effort to bridge the gap.

Newmarket tip 1: Poseidon’s Warrior – 3pt win @ 4/5 (BetMGM)

This looks an interesting handicap, where cases of some sort can be made for the majority. The market should, therefore, hold up for us and I’m going to side with ZENNOR STORM each-way.

William Haggas has his string in good form early in the campaign and this son of Sussex Stakes winner Mohaather should be ideally suited by trips of around 1m to 1m2f. He’s twice been sent to Kempton’s Polytrack where he has won both starts with the minimum of fuss, showing good improvement from first run to second.

This company should prove more of a challenge for him but he’s going the right way and there looks likely to be more upside in him, while the switch to turf should not be a problem. He’s backable at an each-way price on horse racing betting sites and may just prove good enough to score.

Newmarket tip 2: Zennor Storm – 1pt each-way @ 13/2 (bet365)

A cracking contest in prospect here, with some classy horses lining up, including Bay City Roller, Lion’s Pride and Eydon.

I think William Haggas has another chance that may be better than the market suggests here through SANTORINI STAR.

The five-year-old is a daughter of Derby winner Golden Horn, out of a middle distance winner. She’s shown her ability over further, landing last season’s Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster (1m6½f, good to soft) and also winning over an extended 2m at York’s Ebor meeting.

However, she began last season by winning over both 1m2f and 1m4f and I don’t think she’s short of pace and the ability to travel now dropping back to the latter distance.

As mentioned previously, the Haggas team is in good nick and fitness should not be a concern (she’s been second and first in her two previous starts when fresh). At the prices on betting apps, she can be backed each-way to two places here and a front two finish would provide profit.

Newmarket tip 3: Santorini Star – 1pt each-way @ 6/1 (Betfred)

He’s not yet finished outside the first three and the Andrew Balding-trained GOLDEN REDEMPTION looks to be well treated and has a good chance of winning again over this 7f trip.

A sound surface suits the four-year-old, who won a Newbury maiden (6f, good to firm) last August and went very close to following up in a Newbury handicap (7f, good) next time.

He’s twice been placed since then and he had excuses when he was struck into at Kempton last time, doing well to finish 2l third on the All Weather.

With that under his belt, I think there could be more to come from him now back on turf and he looks worth siding with to get back to winning ways.

Newmarket tip 4: Golden Redemption (Newmarket, 16.05) – 2pts win @ 9/4 (William Hill)

A decent fillies’ contest in prospect where several come into it fit from the All Weather and that includes LADY ROXBY.

Michael Herrington has booked Silvestre De Sousa for the mount on this four-year-old filly, whose best efforts entitle her to much respect in this field.

The one box she still has to tick is winning over this far, as both her victories have come over the minimum trip. Expect her to be right up there in the vanguard, given she possesses that travelling speed and she’s been beaten twice by a hair’s breadth over this longer trip (including over C&D), so we can’t say she doesn’t get it.

She should be cherry ripe after her Kempton third (6f, AW) last month and a 1lb drop won’t harm her cause.

Newmarket tip 5: Lady Roxby (Newmarket, 17.15) – 1pt win @ 9/2 (bet365)

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