Saturday 20th July 2019
Author: Jordan Yates
Image: Jordan Yates
Graphics: Logopit Plus
Newbury
Steventon Stakes (Listed)
The Steventon Stakes kicks things off at Newbury on Super Sprint Day, a listed race that’s contested over a mile and two furlongs. I think this race revolves around one horse and that’s the Andrew Balding trained FOX CHAIRMAN who’s the mount of Silvestre De Sousa and sports the King Power Racing silks. He won his debut here impressively earlier in the season and has since gone on to contests group races where he has been massively unlucky with trouble in running at both Chester and Ascot. With a clear run here he should be very tough to beat. The main dangers look to come in the form of James Fanshawe’s Pondus and Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin representative First Nation.
WIN: FOX CHAIRMAN (8/11)
Super Sprint (Class 2)
Newbury’s feature is the Super Sprint which is a race that’s seen as one of the most competitive two-year-old contests around. Richard Fahey has a fine record in the race winning it three times and he looks to hold the key this year also with hot favourite Ventura Rebel who looks like he’s going to be very tough to beat here. I can’t be backing an 11/8 shot in a race of this nature though and therefore I’ve taken a chance on one of the other Fahey runners and that’s MIGHTY SPIRIT. She was turned over at very short odds the last day at Beverley, however, was sixth in the Queen Mary on her penultimate outing and finished second in a listed race at York the time before. She may not have got her head in front just yet but there definitely looks to be a decent race in her.
EACH WAY: MIGHTY SPIRIT (8/1)
Newmarket
Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes (Listed)
I’ve had a look at one race from Newmarket this afternoon and that’s the 2.40 which is the listed Aphrodite Fillies’ Stakes. This is a race that’s contested over a mile and four furlongs and I think that this particular affair has been presented as a great opportunity for SPARKLE ROLL to get her head in front again for John Gosden. She disappointed in the Musidora Stakes at York after a smart win in a Sandown novice race but then bounced back with a fine third-place effort in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot. That’s the best form on offer here and she runs to that level again here I make her tough to beat. It’s her stablemate who I rate as the main danger and that’s Kesia. She won on debut at Ascot in May and was an expensive purchase as a yearling. It remains to be seen the limit of her ability and she could well be anything.
WIN: SPARKLE ROLL (15/8)
Curragh
Irish Oaks (Group 1)
The Irish Oaks takes centre stage at the Curragh this afternoon and it comes as no surprise that the top of the market is dominated by O’Brien horses with Pink Dogwood representing Aidan and Iridessa the representative of Joseph. Both of these horses come into the race with solid form, the latter coming out on top when they both met in the Pretty Polly here last month. I’m taking the home challenge on though and siding with STAR CATCHER for John Gosden and Frankie. She was last seen when winning the Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot last month and I believe there is a lot more to come from her, if she turns up in the form of her Ascot win here I think she’ll be bang in the mix one again. Ralph Beckett’s Lope De Vega duo look to be interesting contenders who have more than enough ability to make things interesting, certainly two to keep an eye on.
WIN: STAR CATCHER (9/2)
Everything Racing 