Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for Newmarket, York and Ascot
- Planet Sport writer
- 14 July 2023
ITV are serving up a whopper of racing action on Saturday, July 15, with ten races across three meetings. The Planet Sport tipsters are on the hunt for more winners.
It's the final day of Newmarket's July Festival and there's four thrilling races to feast on, including the Group 1 July Cup (1635). There's also four races from York and two at Ascot.
We start with a quick run through our tips, with the reasons why we've picked them further down the page.
If you fancy a punt or two, check out the
Planet Sport race centre which will show you all the live odds, racecards and results.
Good luck and please gamble responsibly.
(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)
Saturday's selections:
14:00 (York) Isla Kai
14:20 (Ascot) Mighty Ulysses
14:35 (York) Regional
14:50 (Newmarket) Havana Blue
15:10 (York) Sea The Casper
15:25 (Newmarket) City Of Troy
15:45 (York) Hamish
16:00 (Newmarket) Awaal
16:35 (Newmarket) Shaquille
13:45 (Ascot) Zarzyni
Having finished a creditable fifth in the King's Stand here last month, Equilateral makes obvious appeal eased significantly in grade.
Vintage Clarets arrives here in search of his hat-trick, having notched up successes at Chester and Newcastle recently and must enter calculations, but marginal preference is for Zarzyni.
David & Nicola Barron's gelding is now 10lb lower than when finishing third behind Bond Chairman (second) and Mountain Peak (winner) in the corresponding event last year. He was fourth in the Epsom Dash last time out, suggesting he might be ready to exploit his current mark.
Whenthedealinsdone and Rohaan are just two others to consider in a wide-open event.
14:00 (York) Isla Kai
Eilean Dubh meets Blue For You on identical terms as when defeating him in this 12 months ago but, though both merit the utmost respect, a chance is taken on Isla Kai.
Nigel Tinkler's gelding finished fourth behind that pair last year, having been sent off as favourite, but he is now far better off at the weights and that could see him reverse the form.
Wild Lion and Aramaic are just two others to consider.
14:20 (Ascot) Mighty Ulysses
Mighty Ulysses might have slipped under the radar somewhat in the Fred Cowley MBE Summer Mile.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, he was not disgraced in last year's St James's Palace Stakes and comfortably saw off the very smart Alflaila afterwards.
Next time at York the roles were reversed and Mighty Ulysses clearly was not right as he has not been seen since.
Alflaila won his next three after that Newmarket reverse, so that form is clearly red-hot.
14:35 (York) Regional
Ed Bethell's Regional is a sprinter on the up and he can continue his forward momentum in the John Smith's City Wall's Stakes.
It is often said how little there is between the top handicappers and Group race sprinters and Bethell's charge has proved that already this season.
A winner at York's May meeting off a mark of 100, he won a Listed race last time out at Haydock in clear-cut fashion and despite a penalty, he looks the one to beat.
14:50 (Newmarket) Havana Blue
Ryan Moore's booking for the Clive Cox-trained Havana Blue is a pointer to his chances in the bet365 Mile Handicap.
He has won stylishly the last twice, once on the Rowley Mile and then on the July course, but it does not appear as though the handicapper is reacting quick enough.
15:10 (York) Sea The Casper
For those of a certain vintage it is Magnet Cup day at York, where the Crisfords could also be on the mark with Sea The Casper in the £200,000 John Smith's Cup.
Connections probably felt he needed to win to pick up a penalty to get in with a rating of 97, hence he reappeared last month at Lingfield.
He absolutely sluiced up there, bringing about a 9lb rise in the ratings, but as this race is an early closer, he only carries a 5lb penalty.
As it turns out he would have got in off 97 after all, and he would have been some certainty off that mark, but he still looks the one to beat.
15:25 (Newmarket) City Of Troy
The Superlative Stakes looks at the mercy of Aidan O'Brien's City Of Troy.
Both Moore and O'Brien could not talk him up highly enough following his winning debut at the Curragh a fortnight ago.
Moore struggled to pull him up and this Justify colt should remain unbeaten for the time being.
15:45 (York) Hamish
A comfortable winner of the Ormonde Stakes at Chester in May, dual course and distance scorer Hamish arrives in fine form and even though he has to shoulder a 3lb penalty, he is clearly the one to beat.
One Evening appears an improving filly and shaped as though she can progress again for stepping up in distance when keeping on for second over 1m4f at Pontefract.
She gets the danger vote ahead of classy stayer Tashkhan, who is back on home soil following a fair fourth in France.
16:00 (Newmarket) Awaal
The cards may eventually fall the way of Simon and Ed Crisford's Awaal in the bet365 Bunbury Cup.
Second in the Lincoln and third in the Royal Hunt Cup, he can take the role of supersub after ante-post favourite and stablemate Croupier was ruled out in the week.
16:35 (Newmarket) Shaquille
Shaquille has put a winning run together despite finding ways to get himself into trouble, so if he gets everything right in the Pertemps Network July Cup, he is surely the one to beat.
His breakthrough Group One success in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot came in dramatic circumstances.
He reared when the stalls opened, losing a minimum of five lengths and trainer Julie Camacho admitted to thinking his chance was over immediately.
To his absolute credit, he was back in contention by halfway and back on the tail of hot favourite Little Big Bear - but surely when push came to shove it was going to be a case of he had wasted too much energy.
Not a bit of it, Shaquille still had plenty to offer and when asked to win his race, he streaked clear of last year's leading juvenile in exciting style.
In receipt of weight from his elders, he can add his name to the likes of Sakhee's Secret, Dream Ahead, Muhaarar, Harry Angel, US Navy Flag and Ten Sovereigns who have all won this at three since 2007 alone.
