Newbury Saturday Preview - 17/07/21

In the Listed bet365 Stakes at Newbury on Saturday we believe that the exciting Derab for trainer John Gosden is massively overpriced at his current odds of 9/2 and is only likely to get shorter.

Having been taken out of his latest engagement and jocked up for this event already it looks highly likely he will turn up to this event.

As for the horse itself, the son of Sea The Stars has a superb pedigree and has always been destined for greatness being a half brother to the queen of racing Enable.

Seen four times during his career, the three year old was seen once as a juvenile at Ascot over 7f and he finished a narrow second to the talented La Barrosa.

Saved for this term he made his seasonal debut over a mile at Newbury where again he had to settle for runner up, this time behind the Group One Falmouth Stakes winner Snow Lantern.

On his third career start he finally got off the mark when bolting up on good to soft ground at Newmarket by close to seven lengths.

Off the back of that smart run he was sent into the Group One Prix Du Jockey Club and finished a respectable eighth of 19 runners, with the soft ground going against him.

The form of that race has been franked with winner St Mark's Basilica since winning the Coral Eclipse and Derab now drops into Listed company.

If being the Group horse that the yard feels he could be then he needs to be taking this event out and at 9/2 it seems a nice price to find out.

The second selection of the afternoon comes in the Bahrain Turf Series Handicap Over 2m 1/2f and we are going with the jumps horse Scaramanga to be tough to beat on stamina.

The six year old for Paul Nicholls is rated 84 on the flat for this event, but as a hurdler was rated 144 which would see him mix it with the best over flights.

Looking to exploit this mark the gelding heads into the event having won his last two starts over hurdles, including a very good handicap over 2m4f at Sandown In April.

As for his runs on the flat, he was last seen at Bath back in October off a mark of 86 and now 2lb for that run, he could be a huge player at an each way price.

The feature race of the day at Newbury on Saturday is the Group Three Hackwood Stakes over six furlongs and we can't look past last years winner Tabdeed.

The six year old has always been a smart sprinter, landing this event last season and also taking out good handicaps at Ascot and Doncaster.

He is extremely lightly raced for his age and this term has only been seen once in the run up to this event, finishing a good fourth in the Group Three Chipchase Stakes.

That run would have put him bang on for this event and having won on good and good to soft in the past, this surface should be exactly what he needs.

Value player.

Another nice event on the day from Newbury is the Class 2 Super Sprint Stakes over five furlongs and we are siding with the Coventry Stakes third Vintage Clarets.

This two year old for Richard Fahey loves the ground as fast as possible so will not appreciate any rain, but overall he looks a very progressive type that offers some of the smartest form in the field.

Starting at Doncaster in March he was a fair fourth behind market rival Chipotle, but off the back of that he got off the mark at Beverley in very taking fashion.

Staying on an upward curve he went into a Novice Stakes at Ayr and won that again with ease and was then upped in class to the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished a very smart third.

The winner of that race looks a very smart type and having been only just over a length behind him, he looks a big player here if coming on again.

The ever trusted Seattle Rock is our pick in the Premier Fillies' Handicap over a mile with the Sylvester Kirk trained filly offering some nice form recently.

The three year old was a decent juvenile, finishing a good third in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and also placing in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes.

This season the filly started her season in the Group Three Nell Gwyn Stakes over 7f and looked to slightly need the run.

She was then sent into the Group One 1000 Guineas where she was totally outclassed, but after getting the hint she was dropped into a Novice Stakes over course and distance and got off the mark for the season.

She progressed from that run last time out when a good second behind Auria in the Listed Coral Distaff at Sandown and now being dropped into a handicap she could be tough to beat.

The final runner of the afternoon for us comes in the Fillies' Novice Stakes over 1m2f and a horse with bags of potential is the John & Thady Gosden trained Flaunt.

The daughter of Frankel runs in the same silks as Crystal Ocean and Stradivarius and has a superb pedigree being closely related to the smart Lillie Langtry.

Flaunt has only been seen once to date and her run came at Chelmsford over 1m2f and she finished a smart third behind two nice types, with the second since winning.

She will have learnt a bundle for that experience and it is well known that Gosden's horses come on a heap for their first efforts.

Big prospect.