Spring has arrived and so has flat racing on English turf. Tom and Rich make their way to England’s Newbury Racecourse for a handful of Saturday morning races.
Newbury Racecourse (Free Newbury Past Performances)
Race 1: Finest Surprise Stakes
Race 2: The Fred Darling Stakes
Race 3: Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes
Race 4: OLBG Spring Cup Handicap
Race 7: Millennium Millionaire Handicap
Guaranteed Tip Sheet Free Track of the Day: https://www.guaranteedtipsheet.com/index.aspx?afid=hrt
Newbury Horse Racing Picks
22 to 1 Tom’s Tips
RACE 1
Dubai Duty-Free Finest Surprise Stakes (Registered As The John Porter Stakes) (Group 3) Cl1 (4yo+)
10 – Peking Opera – Draw 8
One of the few horses that has been running recently was in two hurdle races. He won one and didn’t finish in the other (he fell). He was sold by Aiden O’Brien, who races him in top companies in Ireland, France, and England. He’s only won three races, one of those being a hurdle race, but has won a listed race at Navan before being put on the course of group 1 and 2 races. Distance isn’t an issue. It’s just a question of him being placed correctly, and I think he is.
2 – Hamish – Draw 3
He won four in a row before being put out for the winter. Racing at the Group 3 level, he’s won at Newmarket, Goodwood, York, and Chester with the going from good to heavy. He wins first up. If returns to the races ready to go, he will again give a good account of himself in this race.
6 – Chesspiece – Draw 7
The only time this horse didn’t run well was in a group 1 race. Otherwise, he’s been ultra-consistent, winning in maiden to listed races and placings in group 3 races. He’s been lightly raced.
RACE 2
Dubai Duty-Free Stakes (Registered As The Fred Darling Stakes) (Group 3) (Fillies) Cl1 (3yo) 7f
3 – Regal Jubilee – Draw 3
In her first start, she ran ninth because of interference during the race, but she went on to win her next two starts by 7 and 2 lengths. All her races have been at 8 furlongs. To start her 3yo racing, she is going at this distance for the first time. The Gosden’s placed interestingly, and I am putting her on top.
1 – Elmatko – Draw 2
She won her first start on the all-weather and looks good doing it. She ran “green” at the beginning of the race and had to be ridden early. She hung left with about one furlong to go. She figured it out and looked promising at the end. She moved to the turf, and many of her siblings have done well, especially at seven furlongs on the turf.
2 – Flogaria – Draw 1
She is undefeated in five starts, all in Italy. She’s run from 5.5 to 8 furlongs in group-level races. She has a lot to prove, but she hasn’t done anything wrong yet. Her max. distance is likely to be 8 furlongs, so this distance works well as a test first out in the UK.
RACE 3
Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (Group 3) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (3yo) 7f
11 – Zoum Zoum – Draw 3
Undeated in three starts with his last win in a listed race at Saint-Cloud in a listed race. All races at 7 furlongs one race on the all-weather and two races on heavy going. He steps up in the company but wins at first, asking now to show what he has.
6 – James’s Delight – Draw 5
He has a winning effort this year on the heavy going in a handicap by six and a half lengths, and off that race, he received his top-rated race to date. All his efforts have been good but not all winning efforts in novice and handicap races. He’s running on most types of going and never finished worse than fifth. He steps up and moves forward off the last effort.
2 – Army Ethos – Draw 8
He is only a maiden winner, but he ran second to River Tiber in a group 2 race at Royal Ascot and second in a novice race on the all-weather. Another horse with a race this year can only help his chances.
RACE 4
OLBG Spring Cup Handicap Cl2 (4yo+) 1m
2 – Real Gain – Draw 2
With only four races last season, he won twice at class 3 and 4 levels. He placed third as the favorite, and in his finale, he ran fifth in a group 3 race. He won last year on the all-weather first-up and the other two times too. First-up again and will he win again? Why not.
10 – Bill Silver – Draw 18
The season-ending run in October was a good run at his level but a shorter distance. Now he returns to the races at 8 furlongs and won his maiden going 7 furlongs. They placed him in a listed race, and he always was in the rear of the field. His races have been on the soft to heavy going. Since this is a price, good odds race.
4 – Sierra Blanca – Draw 4
He finished last season with an awful run in a listed race by seventeen lengths with that only run last year. So why pick a horse with only a maiden win? The people associated with this horse have aggressively placed his house in a group 3 race to run second (then win his maiden) and have a few good runs in Ireland. Now a 4yo, has he finally developed in the horse that they thought they had?
RACE 5
Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships “Confined” Maiden Stakes (Not Run More Than Twice) (GBB Race) Cl4 (3yo) 1m.
11 – Sheila’s Paradise – Draw 5
2 – Economics – Draw 2
7 – Miletus – Draw 7
RACE 6
Darley “Confined” Maiden Stakes (For horses Which Have Run No More Than Twice) (GBB Race) Cl2 (3yo) 1m 3f.
6 – Hidden Law – Draw 9
8 – Mycoloursoryours – Draw 1
1 – Clockermaker – Draw 5
RACE 7
Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap Cl4 (4yo+ 0-85) 1m2f
9 – Gallant Lion – Draw 14
He ended last season on the all-weather in a class 3 race with a sixteen-length loss. Starting in May of last year, he ran a nothing race for his first start of the season at Newbury then went on a four-race winning streak starting at the class 6 level and the last win at the class 3 level at Windsor. He had a win at Newburg in ten-furlong races. The going was good, good to soft and good to firm. He’s been gelded since his last race. Soft going is a question mark.
7 – God Of Thunder – Draw 16
He was a winner last time out on the all-weather at 12 furlongs in a class 4 race. The race before, he was over his head in a class 2 race. He has good form on the all-weather but has also done well on turf, but not winning efforts. He’s had seven starts and two second and two thirds at lower class levels. Is this an opportunity to step up and get a placing at this level? Why not?
4 – Cracksking – Draw 1
In his final start last season, he won on the all-weather at the favorite in a class 5 maiden race. He’s placed once at Newbury in a class 4 novice race but has been competitive in his races. In a field of horses like this, I think he can run in the money.
Rich’s Ranks
Race 1: Finest Surprise Stakes
2 – HAMISH – appears to really enjoy the soft going and is unbeaten in 2024
1 – AL QAREEM – won last two 1st up outing, both on soft
4 – ARREST – likely favorite after a 2nd in a Group last out, 0/2 at the distance though
8 – MUJTABA – a horse for the course – won lone Newbury tip by 7
Race 2: The Fred Darling Stakes
4 – RELIEF RALLY – a nose from being undefeated in five
1 – ELMALKA – well bet in her debut as a 2-yo, starting 3 yo campaign, should be plenty better
2 – FOLGARIA – Italian invader that is unbeaten in 5 races
Race 3: Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes
7 – MISTER SKETCH – let’s try to beat the even money favorite – class is there with a 2nd in a G2
11 – ZOUM ZOUM – unbeaten in a trio of easy wins
5 – ESQUIRE – a price in the 1st up, only win was on debut, maybe one of those that runs best fresh
3 – BALLYMOUNT BOY – 5 good races, one bad one – lone off race was a G1 in France – we’ll excuse
Race 4: OLBG Spring Cup Handicap
3 – THUNDER BALL – should be better in 2nd up, won his lone race at Newbury by 4
12 – TERWADA – contemplated putting first the 21st post could be a hinderance – other than that – best race of his life was 1 mile on soft
18 – GODWINSON – maybe exiting a key race where he finished 4th, since a few that beat him came back to win again – including a G1
4 – SIERRA BLANCA – ran 1 mile once, lone win on a heavy course and has a 3rd a Newbury
Race 7: Millennium Millionaire Handicap
9 – GALLANT LION – my AoN Type, 10/4-0-0, except 3/2-0-0 at the distance
17 – MONTERIA – looking for something in a wide-open race – 4/2-1-1 at the distance
15 – GRAHAM – has run well off the bench and some success at Newbury, 3/1-1-0
11 – OJ LIFESTLE – maybe a horse for the course, only win at Newbury in one try
