Friday 11th July 2025
Friday’s Best Bets
3.00: Newmarket (bet365 Trophy)
ALIGN THE STARS – 8/1 (Each-Way) (4 places)
The first of my selections from Newmarket on Friday comes within the 3.00 and this is the bet365 Trophy, which is a Heritage Handicap over a mile and six furlongs. I’m taking a chance on Align The Stars here for Charlie Johnston and Joe Fanning. His form has been patchy so far this term, he kicked off his campaign with a very solid run in Listed company at Nottingham when just three-quarters of a length behind the smart Al Qareem, and bounced back to form at Royal Ascot last time out when just two and three-quarters of a length behind Ascending in the Ascot Stakes. He’s now back down to the same mark and the same trip as his last success, which came at Goodwood last August, and I think he can go well here at a decent price.
3.35: Newmarket (Falmouth Stakes)
JANUARY – 2/1 (Win) (NAP)
My best bet of the day comes within the feature at Newmarket, which is the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes for the fillies & mares over a mile. Aidan O’Brien could well add another Group 1 to his already illustrious CV as I think that January makes a lot of appeal under Ryan Moore. She receives a very handy age allowance here from several of her market principals, and I think that she has better form than most of them. She ran a big race last time out at Royal Ascot when a length and a half third in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes, and was second here last term behind Desert Flower in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile back in October. With the previously stated weight allowance coming into play, I think it might take a big performance to beat her here.
4.10: Newmarket
HENGROIN – 9/1 (Each-Way)
My third selection comes within maiden company at 4.10, and this is a Class 3 event which is set to be ridden over a distance of seven furlongs. I think that the one with the most experience could be worth siding with here, and that’s Hengroin for the team of Owen Burrows and Jim Crowley. He’s run with promise in both of his starts to date behind the likes of Comical Point and American Gulf, and both of those horses could prove to be useful in the future. He should naturally progress again coming into his third start here, and the step up to seven furlongs could also unlock further improvement. I think he’s got every chance and looks a decent each-way bet at the prices.
5.20: Newmarket
ROCKING ENDS – 11/2 (Each-Way) (NB)
The race that concludes my Friday selections is the finale at Newmarket, and this is the 5.20, a Class 3 handicap over five furlongs. I’m fairly sweet on the chances of Rocking Ends here for Tom Clover, and is the mount of Rossa Ryan. He’s been running well in defeat for a while now, whilst still edging down the handicap, and was most recently sixth behind the unexposed Another Abbot at this course last month over six furlongs. He returns to five furlongs here and has been nudged down a further couple of pounds, which allows him to contest this off a mark which is a pound below his last winning one. He’s got every chance of posting a bold bid.
Day 1 Winners:
Dutch Decoy – 14/1 – (1st)
Opera Ballo – 11/8 – (1st) (NAP)
