Hi all,
It’s a relatively low-key weekend of racing in Britain, but across the Irish Sea there’s Classic action with the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (3:40) taking centre stage at the Curragh on Saturday.
Irish Oaks – More Routine Than Riveting
I wish I could say the Irish Oaks promised a mouthwatering clash of top 3-year-old fillies but it doesn’t.
Minnie Hauk, the Epsom Oaks winner, is the 1/4 favourite to follow up. She faces just six rivals — three of them stablemates from the Aidan O’Brien yard.
Her closest market rival is Wemightakedlongway (Joseph O’Brien), who was beaten over five lengths by Minnie Hauk at Epsom. It’s hard to see her turning that form around though at around 9/2, she may tempt the each-way thieves.
Newbury – Sprinters & Sales Stars
Back in Britain, the Newbury card lacks real star power, but two races stand out:
Group 3 Hackwood Stakes (2:57): Last year’s winner Elite Status tries to bounce back after a couple of disappointing efforts this season. The first-time cheekpieces might spark him back to life.
£250,000 Weatherbys Super Sprint (3:30): Restricted to sales purchases under £65,000, this is a fast-and-furious 5f dash. Havana Hurricane, who impressed in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, heads the market.
Newbury Super Sprint
I’m not looking into the Super Sprint in much detail but there’s a couple of trends that do stand out.
Despite the normally big field horses returned 18/1 & bigger are 1 winner from 157 runners, 12 places.
Stall 1 to 9 are 0 winners from 85 runners, 7 places.
That draw stat is sure to be busted sometime and backers of short priced favourite Havana Hurricane will be hoping it’s this year as he’s drawn in stall 9.
Richard Hannon who has won this race three times in the last ten year’s saddles three – Raakeb, Logi Bear and Corniche Girl. Willima Buick is an eye-catching jockey for Logi Bear who was too bad to be true when well beaten by Havana Hurricane at Royal Ascot. However, stall 3 tempers enthusiasm.
Richard Fahey has won this race twice in the past ten years saddles hat trick seeking Cotai Belle. Jonathan Portman who won the race in 2016 saddles Son Of Sarabi who get’s the addition of the first time cheekpieces for the drop back to 5f.
Market Rasen – Summer Jumps Feature
For jumps fans, Market Rasen’s Summer Plate card is the highlight of the Lincolnshire courses season. The feature race is the Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase (3:12) with £56,950 going to the winner.
Last year’s winner Sure Touch is back, just 1lb higher than 12 months ago and heading the ante-post market.
ITV Racing will be showing four races from Newbury, three from Market Rasen, and the Irish Oaks live from the Curragh.
Friday Racing
It’s the first of two days at Newbury, where the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes (4:10) headlines the card. That said, it’s Friday evening’s action at Hamilton that holds more appeal, featuring both the Listed Glasgow Stakes (7:10) and the Scottish Stewards’ Cup (6:35). The unbeaten Nahraan looked a good prospect when winning at Windsor last time and will be a warm order to land the Glasgow Stakes. Andrew Balding who saddled last year’s winner has place claims with Secret of Love. However, the biggest threat to Nahraan could come from Square d'Alboni. A winner of his last three starts last season he was disappointing behind Derby winner Lambourn in the Chester Vase. He’s surely better than that performance and could bounce back after a short break. Yard won this in 2021.
There’s a solid case to be made that Commanche Falls, winner of this race in 2021, is the best handicapped horse in the Scottish Stewards’ Cup. Now eight, he’s clearly not the same horse that landed the 2022 Goodwood Stewards' Cup or a Group 3 the following year. But while on the decline, he showed enough last season — and again when runner-up over C&D two starts back — to suggest he still has a performance like this in him. If the pace is strong and he gets the right track position, he could go very close. His stablemate Northern Ticker was too keen on his seasonal return at York, but the 3-year-old has the potential to do better. The likes of Double Rush and Trilby all have claims in a open race.
Good luck with your Friday bets.
John