Newmarket July Festival Day 1 Betting Tips for Thursday 10th July

Brian Healy has picked out his Newmarket July meeting day 1 betting tips below along with a preview of each of the seven races on Thursday.

After the recent Eclipse Meeting at Sandown, the Group One action comes thick and fast as we head towards the end of the week with Thursday hosting day one of the Newmarket July Meeting.

The midsummer highlight sees the Newmarket action switch away from the Rowley Mile and onto the July Course for three days of top-class racing action, which includes two Group One races, one each on Friday and Saturday.

Thursday’s day 1 July Meeting card might lack a Group One race, but there’s no shortage of competitive horse racing action and the Group Two July Stakes and Group Two Princess Of Wales’s Stakes headline a classy day one racecard at Flat HQ.

Seven races in all go to post on day one at Newmarket with the first race at 1.50pm and the ITV Racing cameras will be in action with coverage of the first four races on the first day card, which includes both Group Two feature races.

 

NEWMARKET JULY MEETING DAY ONE TIPS AT-A-GLANCE

• 1:50 Newmarket – FURTHUR (9/4)
• 2:25 Newmarket – DO OR DO NOT (9/2)
• 3:00 Newmarket – CRESTOFDISTINCTION (8/1)
• 3:35 Newmarket – PALLADIUM (11/4)
• 4:10 Newmarket – CRIMSON ROSE (SP)
• 4:45 Newmarket – KING OF CITIES (10/3)
• 5:20 Newmarket – DUTCH DECOY (12/1, EW)

 

Newmarket July Meeting Day 1 Preview and Tips

 

1:50 Newmarket – Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (3yo) 1m5f ITV

Only five runners go to post for the day one opening race at the Newmarket July Meeting and four of them met recently in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot where Andrew Balding’s FURTHUR (9/4) fared best of the quartet when finishing a close second and the Waldgeist colt is taken to go one better here.

Racing a shade keenly in the early part of the race despite what looked a decent pace, Andrew Balding’s charge was a shade unlucky in running late on when meeting traffic problems on the far rail and having to be switched out, which saw him give up some ground to the winner. Howeve,r he rallied well and kept on stoutly without quite having the pace to make up the lost ground close home.

He was only beaten around three parts of a length in a bunched finish, and a repeat of that performance can see him fare the best of these. His earlier run in the Chester Cup represents some very solid form and even though he was a shade disappointing there he could be excused that run given that he might not have been suited by Chester’s tight track; while waiting tactics emloyed there likely didn’t show him in his best light.

There’s no real pace-setter in this race, but he’s shown he prefers to be up in the front ranks and he may well set out to make all. Having shown a good attitude last time he might prove a tough nut to crack and he can see off these rivals from the front.

 

2:25 Newmarket – Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (2yo) 6f

Although he’s 0-3 thus far it might be worth siding with Ed Walker’s DO OR DO NOT (9/2) to break his duck at the fourth attempt.

The Space Blues colt has hit the crossbar the last two races since an inauspicious debut, finding only one too good in a hot race at York in May but stepping up again to chase home Gstaad at Ascot in the Norfolk Stakes.

He was no match for the impressive winner there, but he might well have got closer had he not encountered trouble in running between the last two furlongs, while he raced on the unfavoured far side of the track, so the effort can be marked up.

He’s clearly improving with every run and while seven furlongs may ideally suit him better in time he’ll relish the stiff finish here given how he’s finished off his recent races and there’ll be no shortage of pace in this race so if they go hard up front then he could well outstay this field late on to snatch the victory.

 

3:00 Newmarket – Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo 0-105) 6f

This is set to be fast and furious, and it might pay to side with CRESTOFDISTINCTION (8/1) to strike again and make it three wins for the campaign.

Jack Channon’s lightly-raced Kodiac colt has won twice this term, both on the all-weather, so he does need to show he can be as effective on turf. However, his fifth-place finish at Leicester, in between victories, showed he can handle this surface, and the form of that race is working out quite well.

His latest win at Wolverhampton was impressive, making all to run out a comfortable five lengths’ winner over Stanley Spencer; the handicapper has taken a dim view of that and he’s due to go up markedly in the handicap as a result.

This is a tougher test of his credentials back on turf, while he’ll face plenty of competition for the lead, but he’s going the right way and with plenty of potential to improve further, he can go close in a competitive handicap.

 

3:35 Newmarket – Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (Sponsored By The Kingdom Of Bahrain) (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f

It may pay to side with PALLADIUM (11/4) here who has shown up well on both starts this term since his move to John Gosden.

A Group One winner in Germany last term, he was brought to England and sent to Seven Barrows for a hurdling campaign, although he turned out just once in that sphere, winning at Huntingdon in January. He subsequently moved to the Gosdens and showed up well at Goodwood on his stable debut, finding only the smart Hamish too good by a half-length in the Tapster Stakes.

The Gleneagles colt improved on that reappearance when finishing fourth in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot, finishing just over one length behind the reopposing Ghostwriter, and the pair could well fight out the finish again here.

There is a slight worry over the ground as his winning form in Germany and over hurdles came on softer ground; he looked a bit one-paced on the quicker ground at Ascot last time despite keeping on well enough without matching the first three home. However, he’s open to further improvement and he ought to be in the shake-up.

 

4:10 Newmarket – British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) Cl2 (2yo) 6f

Quite a few of these are making their racecourse debut, and it might pay to side with Godolphin runner CRIMSON ROSE (SP) who shaped with promise on her debut at Chelmsford three weeks ago.

Charlie Appleby’s Lope De Vega filly finished third on that occasion, racing green early and keen throughout, and she gave the impression that the experience would do her some good. The bare form is nothing special, and four of those horses who finished behind her have all come out and lost again next time.

That said, the winner looked a decent prospect, and she ought to have learned plenty from that first run. Switching to turf now, she can put that experience to good use and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her step up markedly on that debut here, where she can go close for her in-form yard.

 

4:45 Newmarket – Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (Listed Race) Cl1 (3yo) 1m

KING OF CITIES (10/3) shaped as if an extended ten furlongs was too far for him when last seen in the French Derby, fading into ninth behind Camille Pissaro and dropping back to this trip in a lesser grade can see Richard Hannon’s charge resume winning ways.

The Dubawi colt struck at Chester last term and returned from a seven-month break to chase home the smart Almeric on the Rowley Mile here in April in the Listed Feilden Stakes, which was run at a good pace.  The front two pulled well clear of the rest, and he was entitled to have needed that first run of the campaign where he took up the running inside the final quarter of a mile before coming under pressure and being carried left by the winner.

That form has taken a few knocks, but he’s clearly one who is well-regarded enough to be sent to a Group One next time, and while he may not have stayed the trip in France, he ought to be much happier back at this one-mile trip. Allied with the drop in class, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him going close here, and he ought to make his presence felt.

 

5:20 Newmarket – Federation Of Bloodstock Agents Handicap Cl3 (3yo+ 0-95) 1m

A competitive and trappy closing race on day one of the July Meeting, but it may be worth chancing DUTCH DECOY (12/1, EW) despite the Dutch Art gelding not having won for two years and not the force of old.

Charlie Johnston’s charge rarely runs a bad race however, despite his form figures perhaps suggesting otherwise, and he has a very good record here with three wins from five starts. The form of his Leicester third behind Cheshire Dancer looks good now with that winner running well in the Kensington Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot latest and he wasn’t beaten far behind that rival with a wide margin back to the rest.

He again wasn’t beaten far at Doncaster latest behind Duke’s Command, the handicapper continues to give him a chance by easing him another 1lb in the ratings. This current mark is now 14lbs below his last winning rating, and while the eight-year-old is on a lengthy losing streak, he could run a big race back at this venue, which clearly brings out the best in him.

 

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