Matt Chapman’s Saturday ITV Racing Tips
13:15 Newmarket – Timefall (each-way)
13:30 Haydock – Raadobarg
13:50 Newmarket – Luther
14:25 Newmarket – Babouche
14:35 Curragh – Hotazhell
15:00 Newmarket – Whistlejacket
15:15 Haydock – Hyperfocus (each-way)
15:40 Newmarket – Ron O (each-way)
*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.
13:15 Newmarket – Timefall (each-way)
ITV Racing Saturday takes in Newmarket, the Curragh and Haydock, starting here with a fillies’ nursery handicap over 7f. Expecting ground on the easy side of good, which should suit TIMEFALL, who ran well when eighth at Doncaster last time in a big field. The filly was staying on nicely that day and this extra half a furlong will be ideal. She ran well on good to soft ground on debut and has a great each-way chance off a mark of 76 for Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan.
13:30 Haydock – Raadobarg
Here’s a handicap over 1m. The ground could be very testing here. RAADOBARG has been disappointing this season, but his mark has come down to 97 and he hasn’t been on soft ground recently. He started the campaign with a third in the Irish Lincolnshire and then a fair seventh in the Spring Mile at Newbury. Both those runs came with juice off a mark of 105 and 107. He really should go well here for Pat Cosgrave and George Boughey.
13:50 Newmarket – Luther
Up in class now for the Group 2 Royal Lodge for juvenile colts and geldings over 1m. I’m a huge LUTHER fan and while there are unexposed types in this that could be monsters, I’ll stick with the Charlie Fellowes runner. The son of Frankel quickened up well in juicy ground to score in `listed company at Haydock last time and stamina is no issue. He learnt a lot from his effort at Salisbury the time before and Kieran Shoemark is an excellent booking as he knows this horse well.
14:25 Newmarket – Babouche
The Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes for juvenile fillies over 6f. Unbeaten BABOUCHE takes on unbeaten Lake Victoria in a smash-up. Either could win it, but I’ll stick with the former for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane. The Kodiac filly beat Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes and became the first filly to master the colts in that Group 1 since La Collina 13 years ago. Lyons won this with Lightning Pearl in 2011 and Babouche looks like a future star.
14:35 Curragh – Hotazhell
ITV show one from the Curragh, this Group 2 Beresford Stakes over 1m. It’s hard to know what improvement is to come in some of these, but HOTAZHELL has the best piece of form in the book, having split Henri Matisse and Scorthy Champ when second to the former in the Futurity at this track in late August. The Jessica Harrington runner stays well and has experience, so they should be a big player under Shane Foley.
15:00 Newmarket – Whistlejacket
The Group 1 Middle Park Stakes for juvenile colts over 6f. Hopefully. WHISTLEJACKET will have felt a big form boost from Babouche when he runs here for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore. My hope has done little wrong as a juvenile, finishing fourth in the Norfolk Stakes (albeit when odds on), and then winning a Group 2 at Newmarket, chasing home Babouche in the Phoenix and then landing his Group 1 in the Morny at Deauville. He stays and goes with cut and brings a high level of form to this event.
15:15 Haydock – Hyperfocus (each-way)
A handicap over 5f. HYPERFOCUS loves mud and might run well for Tim Easterby and Sean Kirrane. The old boy is ten now, so he’s not getting any better, but his second last time at Chester was a fine effort, and he won on testing ground twice at the same track earlier this term. He has had good runs at this course, so they should have each-way claims.
15:40 Newmarket – Ron O (each-way)
The big betting race of the day is the Cambridgeshire Handicap over 1m1f. My selection, though, might shock, so sit down and prepare for what would be a fairytale success. The six-year-old in question has an octogenarian trainer who has only sent out two winners in 2024 and has saddled just six individual horses since the start of the year.
Yes, people, I feel RON O can run a huge one for Ray Craggs. Rossa Ryan takes the ride. All the Rs! Ron O has been a revelation since ditching the artificial at Newcastle and being put back on turf. In May, he won at Redcar off a mark of 85, and then, at York, he won a competitive contest off 89.
The son of Toronado then was third at York again when rated 95, and second and fifth at the same course on his last two starts from the same figure. That fifth was a belter, as he kept on well behind Sir Busker and Dual Identity, suggesting a drop of 1lb is generous. Craggs winning the Cambridgeshire might seem like a dream. But remember, big-priced horses have won this event for the last four years. I’m happy to have a few quid on each-way.
So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me Paddy?
Matt Chapman’s Saturday ITV Racing Tips
13:15 Newmarket – Timefall (each-way)
13:30 Haydock – Raadobarg
13:50 Newmarket – Luther
14:25 Newmarket – Babouche
14:35 Curragh – Hotazhell
15:00 Newmarket – Whistlejacket
15:15 Haydock – Hyperfocus (each-way)
15:40 Newmarket – Ron O (each-way)
*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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