Horse Racing Tips: Rory Delargy’s Friday fancies for ITV Racing at Newmarket

Rory's locked & loaded for his TV tips.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 2 years ago

Friday’s Racing Tips

13:50 Newmarket – Westerton
14:25 Newmarket – Star Of Mystery
14:40 York – Swingalong
15:00 Newmarket – Live Your Dream
15:35 Newmarket – Via Sistina

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

13:50 Newmarket – Westerton

WESTERTON gets the vote after an impressive maiden win at Sandown last time. It’s possible to take the view that Alan King’s son of Belardo won that Sandown race due to a good front-running ride against less experienced rivals, and that is certainly a valid way of looking at it, particularly with the form not yet fully tested. For me, however, he was galvanised by a switch of tactics on a sound surface, and showed definite improvement in running out a wide-margin winner.

It’s encouraging that Ryan Moore – on board for the first time at Sandown – retains the ride, and I would expect him to be ridden forward again, even if that doesn’t mean leading.

Belardo has a reputation as a mudlark, and most pundits expect his offspring to show the same trait, but results on the track show absolutely no such bias. In fact, Belardo’s offspring demonstrate a higher win-rate on fast turf (16%) than soft (11%), and they are profitable to follow in such conditions because such facile thinking bleeds into the betting markets.

Before winning at Sandown, Westerton was beaten in two handicaps on soft/heavy, and many will assume he ran to his best in those conditions given his pedigree. I see that differently, and hope that the odds on offer will be generous because of that split in opinion.

 

14:25 Newmarket – Star Of Mystery

STAR OF MYSTERY comes here after a very impressive win in the Empress Stakes over same of course and distance (C&D) and while this comes quick enough (Lezoo was beaten trying the same double 12 months ago), she is hard to oppose with main rival Soprano a non runner. Persian Dreamer is her main danger on paper, but her yard is without a winner since before Royal Ascot, and it would be a surprise if she could win, for all her latest fourth in the Albany Stakes gives her strong forecast claims.

14:40 York – Swingalong

Like the pair ahead of her in the Fred Darling at Newbury, SWINGALONG bounced from that gruelling effort when down the field in the French 1000 Guineas, but she bounced back with an excellent effort when leading for much of the race and hanging on for third in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. She has the natural pace to dominate again here, and a low draw also looks a positive given the likely set-up in the Summer Stakes.

Swingalong is probably flattered by her proximity to Shaquille given how the Commonwealth Cup unfolded but even taking a conservative view of the form, she has solid claims here, and should find further improvement given the benefit of her Ascot experience.

 

15:00 Newmarket – Live Your Dream

The Johnston yard at Middleham has won three of the five runnings of this contest, but it’s not easy to fancy Themaxwecan on recent form, and La Pulga is a non runner having presumably failed to recover fully after running below form at Ayr on Monday. Live Your Dream is the token choice, therefore, having won the race two years ago.

He was off for a long time before reappearing at Haydock last month, and both his starts this year show him to be better than ever. He’s creeping up the weights despite failing to win, bit his runs so far in 2023 have come over 1½m, and the return to this longer trip could well be the catalyst for a return to the winners enclosure.

15:35 Newmarket – Via Sistina

The drop to a mile does ask a question or two, and a bit of rain needs to fall to ensure the ground is no faster than good, but VIA SISTINA is better class than her Falmouth rivals with the exception of Nashwa, and that filly has been below her best in two runs this term. Nashwa is also less likely to relish the drop from ten furlongs here, and will probably have to help force the pace to bring her stamina into play, all of which will suit Via Sistina, who is best when unleashing her potent turn of foot after being held up.

Via Sistina won easily despite hanging to her right in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh, and had several of these rivals gasping for air as she bolted up in the 1m1f Dahlia Stakes here earlier in the campaign. A couple of those fillies, notably Prosperous Voyage, will be seen to better advantage at this trip, but the selection has won with something in hand on both outings this year, and is impossible to oppose as long as there is enough juice in the ground.

Friday’s Racing Tips

13:50 Newmarket – Westerton
14:25 Newmarket – Star Of Mystery
14:40 York – Swingalong
15:00 Newmarket – Live Your Dream
15:35 Newmarket – Via Sistina

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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