The first race of the day is the Maiden Fillies' Stakes over seven furlongs and it looks a hot affair at the top of market and we are siding with Calm Skies for Charlie Appleby.
The two year old daughter of Shamardal made an extremely pleasing debut over course and distance in June when a dead heat second behind a nice type for John Gosden.
She should improve massively for that run and the yard are going extremely well at the moment running at 31% strike rate for the last two weeks.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29/09/21 | KEM | 6 | St/Slw | 9-0 | 7 |
| 07/09/21 | GOO | 6 | GF | 9-5 | 3 |
| 31/07/21 | NMK | 7 | Gd | 9-0 | 3 |
| 10/07/21 | NMK | 7 | GF | 9-0 | 2 |
| 26/06/21 | NMK | 7 | GF | 9-0 | 3 |
Another seven furlong event this time seeing a Fillies' Handicap and a horse that needs to bounce back but looks well handicapped is the Andrew Balding trained Nebulosa.
The three year old really got the hang of things towards the back end of her juvenile career when winning over course and distance in taking style.
Back this season for her seasonal debut she made it back to back wins at Goodwood when winning by a short head on good to firm, showing she can win on both quick and soft ground.
Last time out on heavy she ran no sort of race and getting back to a quicker surface could be the making of her, getting weight off some of the key runners.
Each way player.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/09/21 | CHS | 7 | Gd | 8-13 | 8 |
| 21/08/21 | SAN | 7 | Gd | 9-7 | 2 |
| 27/07/21 | GOO | 8 | Sft | 9-1 | 3 |
| 10/07/21 | NMK | 7 | GF | 8-11 | 9 |
| 22/05/21 | HAY | 8 | Hy | 8-12 | 8 |
The bet365 Mile Handicap sees a very smart field of three year olds head to post but they look to all have to beat the favourite Royal Fleet.
The three year old was seen making his debut last season at Kempton over seven furlongs and he was a smart winner of a 13 runner event.
Saved for this season he was sent to Yarmouth for his seasonal/turf debut and backed up his debut in emphatic style winning a Novice Stakes.
He makes his handicap debut on Saturday and although giving some weight away looks the one to beat.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29/10/22 | NMK | 10 | Sft | 9-9 | 2 |
| 08/10/22 | NMK | 9 | Gd | 9-5 | 3 |
| 21/09/22 | GOO | 10 | GS | 9-4 | 1 |
| 25/02/22 | MEY | 10 | Gd | 9-3 | 1 |
| 11/02/22 | MEY | 9 | Gd | 9-0 | 2 |
One of the best races at Newmarket on the day is the Group Two Superlative Stakes over seven furlongs and this race has been won by some special horses in the past.
This season we think this trend will continue with the John & Thady Gosden trained Dhabab, who looks to have bundles of ability and just needs some luck in running.
The two year old son of No Nay Never was last seen at Royal Ascot in the Coventry Stakes. Well backed until post time, he was sent off the 4/1 favourite but some trouble in running saw him only manage sixth place.
He made significant late headway when he saw daylight and surely would have gotten a lot closer had he had a clear run.
A smaller field here hopefully means he won’t have the same traffic problems and the bookies are already ducking for cover as Dettori takes over in the saddle.
Big player.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/04/24 | KEE | 8 | Gd | 8-6 | 9 |
| 08/10/23 | WOO | 6 | Y | 8-9 | 4 |
| 02/09/23 | KND | 8 | Fm | 8-10 | 6 |
| 30/07/23 | ELS | 8.5 | Fm | 8-10 | 5 |
| 11/03/23 | WOL | 7 | St | 9-5 | 4 |
The Class 2 Bunbury Cup Handicap over seven furlongs has always been a nightmare for punters but this year we believe to have found a solid each way contender.
At 16/1 Symbolize for trainer Andrew Balding and rider Oisin Murphy represents big value, with plenty of firms potentially set to offer extra places on the race, depending on the amount of runners declared.
The four year old son of Starspangledbanner has proven form on both good and soft ground during her career, but ideally he would not want the heavens to completely open.
Having been a decent handicapper over seven furlongs for a while, he enters calculations for this race off the back of his run at Royal Ascot las time out.
The gelding managed to finish a staying on seventh of 28 in the Buckingham Palace Handicap Stakes on good to firm ground, being on the wrong side of the track to where the pace was but still managing to get involved.
He looks weighted to get involved if coming on again for that run and with less of a draw bias than at Ascot he should be in the frame.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/12/23 | NCS | 7 | St/Slw | 9-2 | 7 |
| 13/11/23 | WOL | 7 | St | 9-11 | 7 |
| 01/09/23 | THI | 7 | Gd | 9-8 | 6 |
| 06/05/23 | THI | 8 | Sft | 9-12 | 11 |
| 22/04/23 | THI | 7 | Sft | 9-4 | 4 |
The feature race of the day is the Group One Darley July Cup Stakes over six furlongs and the horse the looks the value is the three year old Dragon Symbol.
He bolted up on debut under Hollie Doyle at Wolverhampton and quickly backed that up under a penalty. Moved into handicaps he made a mockery of a mark of 85 to record his hat trick.
Dropped in trip to five furlongs and moved into a conditions race, he again put up a stellar performance to another win.
Rightly moved into graded company he contested the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock on bottomless ground.
He was just denied by outsider Rohaan by a nose who’s since won the Wokingham off an eye-watering mark of 112.
With strong form in the books we last saw Dragon Symbol be first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup only for the result to be overturned in the steward’s room afterwards.
He’s worth his chance here if making the most of his weight for age allowance and looks the value in the market.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/08/22 | YOR | 5 | GF | 10-1 | 5 |
| 30/07/22 | HAM | 5 | Gd | 9-3 | 1 |
| 18/06/22 | ASC | 6 | GF | 9-5 | 23 |
| 28/05/22 | HAY | 5 | Gd | 9-6 | 2 |
| 11/05/22 | YOR | 6 | Gd | 9-10 | 7 |
The final event of the three day meeting is the Class 3 Handicap over 1m4f and Parachute for Ed Walker looks to have a big chance.
The three year old was a smart juvenile finishing second behind Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane, before getting off the mark on his final start as a two year old.
Parachute has been seen three times this term, finishing a close third at Redcar on debut before winning a three runner event over course and distance.
Last time out he gave a career best run at Royal Ascot in the King George V Stakes when a very smart staying on third, behind some superb types.
He is only up 3lb for that run and dropping back to a Class 3 makes him tough to beat if backing that run up.
| Date | Course | Distance | Type | Weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/08/22 | YOR | 12 | Gd | 8-10 | 9 |
| 16/07/22 | CHS | 12.5 | Gd | 8-10 | 6 |
| 21/06/22 | NBY | 12 | Gd | 10-2 | 1 |
| 13/05/22 | YOR | 10.5 | Gd | 8-10 | 5 |
| 19/04/22 | EPS | 12 | Gd | 8-13 | 4 |
