1:25 Newbury
The opener on ITV is the Geoffrey Freer Stakes, a Group 3 contest over the extended 1m5f trip.
William Haggas’ DUBAI HONOUR (15/8) is the class act in this small field, and if he’s anywhere near his best on this return to UK shores, he ought to be winning this. He’s won multiple Group 1 races in Australia, and he’s shown enough in two starts this season to suggest a lot of the ability remains despite being 8 years old now. If he can run to a similar level in this Group 3 race, you’d expect that to be enough against horses who wouldn’t be up to Group 1 level anywhere.
1:55 Newbury
Next up at 1:55 is a trappy 5f handicap for horses rated between 0-90.
I like RHYTHM N HOOVES (6/1) NB in this, who’s well handicapped off a current mark of 78. There’s been enough promise in recent starts. Three runs back he went off favourite at Windsor in a similar contest to this and finished a close third. Last time out, despite finishing 8th, he wasn’t beaten all that far, and he was on the wrong side of the track there, so that effort can be marked up slightly anyway. The handicapper did drop him a further 3lb for it too, which I thought was a little generous. He’s the only course and distance winner in the line-up, and hopefully he can make it 2-2 here.
2:10 Newmarket
We head to Newmarket at 2:10 for the Grey Horse Handicap over 6 furlongs.
The one for me is ACT OF VIOLENCE (13/2), who bounced back to form last time out when making all at Ripon. He has decent back form, and it’s highly encouraging that on just his second start for the Carroll yard he was able to put up such a decent victory. He’s 8lb higher here, but he’s still well in based on what we know from his past exploits. De Sousa maintains the partnership, and on a track that can favour the front runners, I’m hoping he can prove a tough nut to crack from the front again.
2:35 Newbury
The 2:35 from Newbury is a 7f handicap.
I think GREAT ACCLAIM (5/1) may well be able to defy top weight here. He’s run crackers in top handicaps throughout the last year, including at Royal Ascot when a fine third in the Buckingham Palace Stakes. He got no run last time out at Ascot, and as a result, he wasn’t given a hard time, so I’m happy to ignore that effort. This is the weakest race he’s run in for a little while and he ought to go close.
2:55 Ripon
First up at Ripon is the 6f handicap known as the Silver Cup.
I think GLORY HYDE (14/1) EW is of interest back to his beloved Ripon. He’s won here four times throughout his career, and that includes two wins in June of this year. His last two runs have been in competitive handicaps at York, which looked a step too far. Last time out wasn’t too bad to be fair, and now back to Ripon, in a slightly weaker handicap, I think he can hit the frame at least.
3:10 Newbury
It’s back to Newbury at 3:10 for the feature, the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes over 7f.
It is NEVER SO BRAVE (10/3) NAP for me here. Last seen in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes, he ran a cracker to be beaten by just under 6 lengths by the superstar that is the retired Bow Echo. That was a strong race, and he certainly outran his expectations. This 7f is more his trip and, truth be told, I think this is a weak renewal. If he remains in similar form, I’d expect him to be winning this.
3:25 Ripon
The competitive Great St Wilfrid Handicap is at 3:25.
It is KODIAC THRILLER (17/2) EW I like. A decent winner for the column last time out when winning the Jump Jockeys Nunthorpe at York last month. He had shown on his prior effort an eye-catching 4th that he was coming to the boil nicely, and I’d now expect him to remain in decent nick for the rest of the season. He excels here at Ripon, as proven by his victory here in April. He also finished a fine second in this race last year. It’s hard not to see him being bang there again off just 3lb higher.
More Betting Tips for Today
ITV Racing Tips for Saturday 15th August from Newbury, Newmarket and Ripon
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Andy Clark is a British betting analyst and the founder and editor of Thatsagoal, a UK sports betting comparison site operated by Thatsagoal Media Limited. He has over 20 years of betting experience across football and horse racing, and personally tests every bookmaker account reviewed on the site.
