Saturday Tipping - Goodwood and Newmarket

Glorious Goodwood has absolutely lived up to its name and reputation as a festival, and I feel extremely privileged to have seen many racehorses of utter class in my time, but Frankel winning the Sussex Stakes puts him top of my mental pecking order ahead of Sea The Stars and Zarkava.

Frankel winning the Sussex Stakes is another example of the ‘Classic Generation’ having the apparent upper hand over the older horses, and they can continue this trend in the Nassau Stakes in MISTY FOR ME. The Nassau is a Group One contest for fillies and mares over 1m 2f and attracts horses of the highest calibre, The Aidan O’ Brien trained filly built on her dual group one two year old career in emphatic style winning the Irish 2000 Guineas and then the Pretty Polly Stakes, with the Pretty Polly performance being the stand out, destroying Midday, who she will reoppose here again on Saturday. Misty for Me has proven that her optimum trip is over the distance, tiring in the Epsom Oaks, yet staying on in the Irish guineas, and given the fact three year olds are given 9lb due to weight for age, she should be very hard to beat.

The Stewards Cup is the marmite of betting opportunities –some people love it, some people hate it. There will be a field of 30 runners trying to win this Class 2 handicap, and instead of taking a chance with an outsider, we are playing it safe and sticking with the top weight, the best horse by far in the race, HOOF IT. Kieren Fallon seems to get on tremendously well with this horse, which landed another plunge for trainer Mick Easterby when winning the SkyBet Dash at York, a 20 runner handicap as 3/1 favourite. He is clearly one of those horses that come along that is a group horse slumming it in handicap company, much like Royal Ascot winner Deacon Blues, and as long as the horse deals with the ‘bounce factor’, the Easterby’s could be landing another one of their famous gambles Saturday.

We switch our attention to Newmarket for our final selection, is for in form trainer Andrew Balding, who seems to thrive in tricky handicaps, and has another potential leading player in LAY TIME, whose form looks absolutely rock solid. The filly made her debut last year in a Salisbury maiden, which was won by Group horse for Sir Michael Stoute Shim Sham, and had UAE Oaks winner Khawlah in second. Lay Time finished fifth that day, and then went and won a maiden on her seasonal debut this year, winning a 7 runner maiden over 7f two weeks ago by three lengths. The Balding yard is synonymous with horses coming on for their runs, and this daughter of supersire Galileo looks like the sky is the limit for her.

2.20 Newmarket – Lay Time (Nap)

3.10 Goodwood – Misty For Me

3.45 Goodwood – Hoof It

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

Irish Derby, Pretty Polly Stakes and Northumberland Plate

A horse that we shall remain faithful to as he seeks his redemption is CARLTON HOUSE, famously owned by Her Majesty the Queen, who was an unlucky third in the Epsom Derby and now goes across to the Curragh for the Irish equivalent.

He was terribly unlucky in his build up to the Derby and during the race itself. It seemed as if everything that could go wrong did go wrong. He suffered a setback at home the week before the race, severly affecting his preparation, and was then hampered in the race, before losing a shoe in running. While each incident in isolation may not have been critical there is little doubt that there would have been some cumulative effect.

He will face a largely similar field to that at Epsom, with Native Khan, Memphis Tennesee, Treasure Beach and Seville all reopposing. It could be a slightly substandard Irish Derby, and Carlton House has the class, the form and the connections that should see him comfortably home.

Another British raider seeking success across the Irish Sea this weekend is MIDDAY who bids to win the Pretty Polly Stakes. Henry Cecil's star five year old mare has looked at her outstanding best in her two runs this season, and seems to be progressing with every race. She followed her Middleton Stakes win with a narrow defeat in the Coronation Cup at Epsom to St Nicholas Abbey, who is now ante post favourite for the King George at Ascot.

She looks to have the best form is the race and should be at peak fitness.The obvious danger is the multiple Group One winning dual Oaks heroine Snow Fairy. Snow Fairy is undoubtedly a class act but she is likely to come on for the run and will be aimed primarily at International targets in the Autumn.

In Saturday’s big race at Newcastle, the Northumberland Plate, Europe’s richest two mile handicap, I like to look for horses with proven recent form at the distance. The first of to catch the eye is last years winner, the outstanding OVERTURN, who is seeking to becoming the first back to back winner since Tug of War's exploits in 1977/1978.

Donald McCain's star performer has excelled on the flat, and his front running techniques are incredibly effective, as ably demonstrated once more last time out when winning the Chester Cup. Although he is up 17lb in the handicap, he looks to have a great chance, and Henry Brooke will take 5lb off for his claim too.

Another horse who looks to have a fantastic chance is the current ante post favourite ACTIVATE. The son of Motivator looked all class when winning a two mile handicap on firm ground at Haydock and he could be a step or two ahead of the handicapper. The ground is expected to be good-to-soft, and that should pose no problems. He should come on for his last run, and has been heavily backed in the past week, indicating the yard feel he has an outstanding chance. Just for good measure, one of my personal favourite jockeys, Hayley Turner, is on board.

3.05 Newcastle (Sat) Activate (Ew) & Overturn

3.35 Curragh (Sat) Midday

3.50 Curragh (Sun) Carlton House (Nap)

The Yorkshireman - Jack Milner