Saturday 16th August 2025
SATURDAY SELECTIONS
1.50 Newbury: Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes
The first of my selections on Saturday comes at Newbury, and within the 1.50 which is the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes, which is contested over a mile and five and a half furlongs. I’m fairly strong on the chances of Pinhole here for the team of Ralph Beckett and Colin Keane. He came into this season with a fair amount of promise following his novice win in the winter, and he didn’t run too badly when finishing eighth at Royal Ascot behind Cramers in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase. He followed that run up with an assertive win in a Class 2 handicap, which also came at Ascot, and he should continue to progress. It would be disappointing if he doesn’t go well here.
PINHOLE – 2/1 (Win) (NB)
2.45 Ripon: William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap
My second selection of the afternoon comes from Ripon and the 2.45, which is the Silver Cup Handicap, a Class 4 event that’s contested over six furlongs. This is highly competitive, and I’m taking a chance on one at a big price in Woodstock for Ruth Carr and Jason Hart. His losing sequence is mounting up; however, he’s shown promise in several runs as of late, and he was travelling well at Ascot last time out over seven furlongs, before fading in the final furlong. That suggests that a drop down to this distance could well be what he’s after, and he’ll contest this particular contest off a mark which is four pounds below his last winning one.
WOODSTOCK – 16/1 (Each-Way)
3.00 Newbury: TPT Fire Handicap
Next up for me will be the 3.00 at Newbury, and this is a Class 2 handicap that’s ridden over a straight seven furlongs. I like the Eve Johnson Houghton trained Jumby here, who’s the mount of Charlie Bishop. It’s been a while since he got his head in front; however, he’s run many good races in defeat since, including on his last two outings, where he’s placed in back-to-back Class 2 handicaps at Haydock and Newmarket. He’s a course and distance winner having won the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes here a couple of years ago, and he now finds himself on a mark which he should be extremely competiitve off within handicap company. I think that he could go very close here.
JUMBY – 6/1 (Each-Way)
3.20 Ripon: William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap
It’s back over to Ripon for my fourth selection and this comes within the extremely competiitve Great St Wilfrid Handicap, which is a Class 2 event over six furlongs. I’m taking my chances on another one at a big price here, and this comes in the form of Nostrum for the team of David O’Meara and David Nolan. He was a Group 3 and Listed winner at the ages of two and three when trained by Sir Michael Stoute, and he’s found himself in group races ever since. Things haven’t gone to plan since joining this yard; however, a drop down into handicap company should see him perform better, and most notably, this drop down to six furlongs. He’ll have to carry a big weight here, however, if there is some of that old ability still in there, he has the potential to blow a handicap away.
NOSTRUM – 14/1 (Each-Way)
3.27 Curragh: Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes
My penultimate selection of the afternoon comes from the Curragh and the 3.27, which is the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes that’s contested over a mile and two furlongs. I’m very strong on the chances of Los Angeles here for the powerhouse team of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. They got the tactics wrong on him at Royal Ascot; however, he looked as good and tough as ever before that, winning Group 2 and Group 1 races over course and distance. He’s dropped into Group 3 company here, and whilst Zahraan has significant potential, I think it’ll take a big performance to stop the O’Brien charge giving his trainer another success in this race.
LOS ANGELES – Evs (Win) (NAP)
3.35 Newbury: Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes
Signing me off for the afternoon will be the 3.35 at Newbury, and this is the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes that’s ridden over seven furlongs. I’ve come down on King’s Gamble here for the combination of Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan. He’s returned to the track with a very encouraging second of eleven in the Group 3 Hackford Stakes over six furlongs at this track last month, and given how he kept on in the closing stages, this step back up in trip looks to be the right move. He should naturally progress coming into his second outing of the campaign here, and I think he’ll be primed to post a serious effort.
KING’S GAMBLE – 9/2 (Each-Way)
