Saturday 12th July 2025
Saturday’s Best Bets
1.40: Newmarket
ORION’S BELT – 9/2 (Each-Way)
My first selection on Saturday, on the concluding day of Newmarket’s July Festival, comes within the 1.40 and this is a Class 3 fillies’ maiden that’s ridden over seven furlongs. I like the chances of Orion’s Belt here, who’s currently trading at a best price of 9/2 for Richard Hannon and Ryan Moore. She was well-fancied on her racecourse debut at Salisbury when being sent off the 5/6 favourite, and whilst she couldn’t open her account at the first time of asking, she ran encouragingly, finishing fourth and just a length behind the winner. She should naturally progress following that run, and her breeding suggests that she shouldn’t mind a step up in distance to seven furlongs here. She should go well.
2.12: Newmarket
BOUNTIFUL – 12/1 (Each-Way)
Next up it’s the 2.12 and this is more action for the fillies and a Class 2 handicap that’s also contested over a distance of seven furlongs. I’m taking a chance on one at a double-figure price here in Bountiful for George Boughey and Billy Loughnane. She was progressive last term, with her best run coming here last year when finishing a length and a half fourth behind Arabian Dusk in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, which is very solid form. She wasn’t able to feature at Ascot over a mile in the Sandringham Stakes; however, now she’s back down to seven furlongs here in calmer waters, she should have every chance of returning to form. I think that she can outrun what looks like a generous price.
2.50: Newmarket (Bunbury Cup)
MORE THUNDER – 13/8 (Win) (NAP)
My best bet of the afternoon comes within the Bunbury Cup at 2.50, which is a Heritage Handicap that’s contested over seven furlongs. I’m strong on the chances of the unexposed More Thunder here for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. He’s a highly progressive colt who won back-to-back handicaps on the Rowley Mile course here in his first two outings of his campaign, before being very narrowly denied in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot when finishing a head second, in a twenty-eight-runner affair. He’ll contest this race off the same mark as that fantastic Ascot effort, and that has to make him tough to beat. I think he could prove to be better than handicaps in the future, and another big run is likely here.
3.25: Newmarket
BEDOUIN PRINCE – 5/2 (Win) (NB)
The fourth selection for me on the afternoon comes within the 3.25 and we have a Class 2 handicap in the form of the bet365 mile taking centre-stage. My next best bet of the day runs here, and that’s Bedouin Prince for the team of Charlie Appleby and William Buick, who are currently having a fantastic week at the time of writing. This three-year-old makes his handicap debut here on the back of successive victories within maiden and novice company, with his latest success being a four and three-quarters of a length victory on the Rowley Mile here in May. He’s another who could prove to be better than handicap level, and he should be bang there at the business end of things in this.
4.35: Newmarket (July Cup Stakes)
NOTABLE SPEECH – 11/4 (Win)
My concluding pick of the day on Saturday comes within the feature at 4.35, which is the Group 1 July Cup Stakes that’s disputed over a distance of six furlongs. It’s another one for the boys in blue here for me in Notable Speech for Charlie Appleby and William Buick. He makes a markedly noticeable step back in trip here, having been campaigned as a miler throughout his career, but I think he’s got every chance of taking it in his stride. He’s a dual Group 1 winner over a mile, which includes a 2000 Guiness success, and he should be ridden from the front here, making him hard to peg back. The team is formidable at Newmarket, and they’ve got a huge chance of another big race success here.
