- All times GMT
It’s been a strange week of racing in the UK with extreme heat seeing several fixtures abandoned and many more moved to early morning slots, some starting as early as 10:15AM. Everything seems set fair for tomorrow, however, with all meetings set to go ahead at their regular scheduled times.
It’s the biggest meeting of the year at Newcastle this weekend with the Northumberland Plate (15:15), run over 2 miles on a synthetic surface, the highlight of the day. Current favourite Circus Of Rome has been the subject of a huge gamble having been messing around over far shorter this season. A winner at the track last year, he still has room to progress, as do the likes of Ride The Thunder and Team Player.
Earlier on the card, the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes (14:10) will see hardened sprinters go to post. Most of these runners are very exposed so maybe the improving Paborus can overcome a layoff and spring a surprise on a surface he’s won on before.
Over at York we have another Group 3 in the shape of the Criterion Stakes (14:58). A de facto trial for the City of York Stakes – the only Group 1 race over 7 furlongs in the UK and run over this course and distance – this year’s renewal sees Never So Brave head the market. He was the winner of the City of York last year and will surely head there off the back of this having had excuses on both starts this season, including last time out when he had no chance at a biased track. His main rival looks to be Saber Strike who could only finish seventh at Royal Ascot in the Jersey Stakes when favoured last weekend – he backs up quickly and may bounce back.
We also get to see some Royal Ascot runners in the 2-year-old race at the Curragh. Aidan O’Brien’s Sun Goddess, who was just nailed late in the Albany Stakes, is odds-on to go one better in the Airlie Stud Stakes (15:20), while stablemate Confucius is similarly short for the Anglesey Stakes (14:15) having been a beaten favourite in the Coventry Stakes.
The best horse on the card is undoubtedly Thundering On, who hacked up in the Oaks last time out and looks a filly of the highest quality. She drops in trip on Sunday for the Pretty Polly Stakes (15:55) where she will take on the very talented Estrange, with a repeat of her last performance against elders likely to have her at the head of the Arc betting.
Race Of The Weekend
The Irish Derby (16:35) takes place this Sunday and sees a rematch between a number of those who contested the English equivalent. The winner at Epsom, Christmas Day, has been somewhat weak in the betting, perhaps due to the quicker ground, but he should lead on the favoured rail and may be able to confirm the form. Benvenuto Cellini, who was controversially declared a non-runner last time having passed the post in tenth, reopposes and the market has made him favourite here despite that effort. Seventh-placed stablemate Pierre Bonnard and Joseph O’Brien’s James J Braddock, who finished third, also take their chance again. The improving Raaheb, who skipped Epsom for this, should have the perfect stalking trip and looked very good at Sandown last time, so is my idea of the winner with some doubts over the substance of the Derby form.
Horse To Watch
Crown Of Oaks progressed rapidly last season, landing a valuable Ascot handicap on his final start of the season. He looks the type to take another big step forward as a 4-year-old and might be able to serve it up to Purview here, who himself looked like a Group winner in waiting when scoring most impressively here on seasonal debut. The pair face off in the International Stakes (15:20) on Sunday.
