Mail Sport’s racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday’s meetings at Ayr, Newbury, Bangor-on-Dee, Thirsk, Brighton and Nottingham.
Mail Sport’s racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday’s meetings
NEWBURY
Robin Goodfellow
1.30 Al Qareem
2.05 Elmalka
2.40 Zoum Zoum
3.15 Raadobarg
3.50 Pasha
4.25 Mycoloursoryours
5.00 Prince Maxi
Gimcrack
1.30 Arrest
2.05 Regal Jubilee (nb)
2.40 Room Service
3.15 Godwinson
3.50 Economics
4.25 Hidden Law
5.00 Prince Maxi
Newmarket – 1.30 Arrest (nap); 2.05 Relief Rally (nb).
AYR
Robin Goodfellow
1.15 Sans Bruit
1.50 Deeper Blue
2.25 Favour And Fortune (nap)
3.00 A Penny A Hundred
3.35 Git Maker (nb)
4.10 Welcom To Cartries
4.45 Billericay Dickie
5.20 Califet En Vol
Gimcrack
1.15 Sans Bruit
1.50 Inch House
2.25 L’eau Du Sud
3.00 Coco Mademoiselle
3.35 Git Maker (nap)
4.10 Masaccio
4.45 Quai De Bourbon
5.20 C’est Ta Chance
Northerner – 3.35 Anglers Crag (nap)
THIRSK
Robin Goodfellow
3.45 Li Ban
4.20 Sergeant Wilko
4.55 Never So Brave
5.30 Shartash
6.05 Society Lion
6.35 Gulliver
7.05 To Catch A Thief
7.40 Stormy Pearl
Gimcrack
3.45 Indication Ember
4.20 Curious Rover
4.55 Never So Brave
5.30 Ramazan
6.05 Impressor
6.35 Mereside Diva
7.05 Torcello
7.40 Kaidu
Northerner – 5.30 Holloway Boy (nb)
BANGOR-ON-DEE
Robin Goodfellow
1.05 Grand Albert
1.40 Bampton Star
2.15 Vicki Vale
2.50 Whodini
3.25 Balhambar
4.00 Far Sight
4.35 Doctor Kildare
Gimcrack
1.05 Heros De Romay
1.40 Le Grand Vert
2.15 Grain D’oudairies
2.50 Whodini
3.25 Camarrate
4.00 Galunggung
4.35 Doctor Kildare
NOTTINGHAM
Robin Goodfellow
4.50 God’s Window
5.25 High Opinion
5.55 Teej A
6.25 Cariad
6.55 Clansman
7.30 Big Bear Hug
8.00 Emerald Army
Gimcrack
4.50 God’s Window
5.25 High Opinion
5.55 The Dragon King
6.25 Realised
6.55 Clansman
7.30 Big Bear Hug
8.00 Wichahpi
BRIGHTON
Robin Goodfellow
4.06 Mary Of Modena
4.40 Bob The Bandit
5.15 Heer’s Sadie
5.45 Eton Blue
6.15 Sunset In Paris
6.45 Roman Tempest
7.20 Freetodream
7.50 Uncle Dick
Gimcrack
4.06 Mary Of Modena
4.40 Fondest Dream
5.15 Daisy Roots
5.45 Ensured
6.15 Sunset In Paris
6.45 Velvet Vulcan
7.20 Freetodream
7.50 Oh So Audacious
Databank – Your guide to the afternoon’s action
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
SILVESTRE DE SOUSA, back in the UK riding as a freelance, will be disappointed not leave Thirsk with a winner from seven rides which include LI BAN (3.45), KENDALL ROY (4.20), SWIFT STORM (4.55) and BARADAR (5.30).
TRAINER TO FOLLOW
WILLIE MULLINS, challenging for the British trainers’ title, has peppered Ayr with entries, with UNCLE PHIL (1.15), A PENNY A HUNDRED (3.00) and QUAI DE BOURBON (4.45) looking particularly interesting alongside his Scottish National entries MACDERMOTT and SPANISH HARLEM (3.45).
BIG DAY FOR…
KIERAN SHOEMARK will want to get his first season as the Gosden’s main jockey moving forward with momentum. After some near misses this week he partners the stable’s 2023 Geoffrey Freer Stakes winner ARREST in the John Porter Stakes (Newbury, 1.30) and 1,000 Guineas entry REGAL JUBILEE (Newbury, 2.05) in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes.
WATCH OUT FOR…
ECONOMICS (Newbury, 3.50) made eye-catching late headway when fourth on debut at Newmarket and holds a Derby entry.
HORSES FOR COURSES
ETON BLUE (Brighton, 5.45) has run five times at the track with a record of two wins, two seconds and a third.
ROBIN GOODFELLOW – Best Bets
Dan Skelton, Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls all have leading contenders in the Scottish Champion Hurdle (Ayr, 2.25), but FAVOUR AND FORTUNE (NAP) can win this valuable prize for Alan King.
The unexposed novice was second in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree earlier this season before catching the eye when finishing sixth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The form of that race was boosted at Aintree by both Mystical Power and Firefox, and an opening mark of 138 looks very fair.
Later on the card, GIT MAKER (NB) can go one better than last time out at the Cheltenham Festival when he lines up in the Scottish Grand National (3.35). In the Kim Muir Handicap Chase, he finished an eight-length second behind subsequent Grade One winner Inothewayurthinkin, with the third a further 18 lengths behind. A 1lb rise seems very lenient for that and he should hold leading claims.
THE WIZARD OF ODDS
By Chris Baker
2.40 NEWBURY
BALLYMOUNT BOY capped off a fine juvenile campaign with a Listed victory at Doncaster in October. A few months earlier, he’d chased home the unbeaten Vandeek in a Goodwood Group Two sprint. 13-2
3.15 NEWBURY
RAADOBARG (nap) mostly contested Class One races last season and posted some smart efforts. He went close in the Irish Lincolnshire on his seasonal reappearance and will be sharper for that run. 10-1
3.35 AYR
Stay Away Fay could bounce back to form but slight preference is for WHACKER CLAN, who finished third in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase the Cheltenham Festival and will relish this stamina test. 9-1
