ITV Racing Tips for Day 1 of Newmarket’s Craven Meeting 2023

1:50 Newmarket

The opener of the Craven Meeting from Newmarket is a 7f conditionals race with 9 runners set to go to post.

Godolphin hold a strong hand here and it’s their second string I like here CITY OF KINGS (7/2) NAP. He took a decent step forward from his debut effort at Sandown when winning a decent enough maiden at the second time of asking at Ascot winning from the front. He still looked raw that day and he’s a big scopey sort who looks sure to improve further as a 3 year-old this season. I think he’ll end up being better over further than this trip but I expect Doyle to take him forward and he’ll be a tough nut to pass. This track often favours the front runners and this could become tactical.

 

2:25 Newmarket

The 2:25 race is next up and it is a decent handicap full of potential improvers over 7f.

The one I like is TACARIB BAY (13/2). He has always threatened to be a better horse than he’s shown and connections thought he was good enough to run in the 2000 Guineas around this time last year so his homework must have always been encouraging. He ran in a handicap here at the Craven Meeting last season where he finished a good second behind New Science who’s been off the track since but looked a useful tool. Tacarib Bay has winning form on soft ground and it looks set to be on the easy side here which is encouraging. He’s had two runs already this season so shouldn’t lack for fitness and Ryan Moore takes the reigns which is an obvious plus.

 

3:00 Newmarket

The 3:00 contest is a trappy wide-open handicap over the mile.

I like EMPIRESTATEOFMIND (8/1) EW here for the John Quinn stable. A solid and consistent sort last season who won at Thirsk before finishing second in three consecutive races to end his season. They were decent competitive handicaps and an earlier win in the season at Ripon to back up the Thirsk win shows he’s not scared to get his head in front. That win was on soft ground too which is encouraging. However, it’s his comeback run in the always competitive Lincoln Handicap that was really encouraging. He looked like he could win it at one stage when making his challenge inside the final 2f. He faded close to home to finish 7th but wasn’t beaten far. He should come on for that and off the same mark of 99, I expect a bold bid.

 

3:35 Newmarket

The feature on Day 1 comes up at 3:35 and it is the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes ran over 1m1f.

It’s RAADOBARG (11/1) EW for me here for the George Boughey team. Amo Racing always have their horses fully wound up at the start of the season so I’m hoping he will be raring to go. He has twice ran after a 170+ day break and he has won both times so arguably the first run of the season is the time to catch him. He has moved from Johnny Murtagh to George Boughey which is no negative in my eyes. He is another who will appreciate any cut in the ground and can go well.

 

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