Newmarket best bet: Tiber Flow looking to edge out Noble Dynasty in tasty Criterion Stakes

15:25 Newmarket: Plantation Stud Criterion Stakes (7 furlongs)

Witch Hunter won the Buckingham Palace Stakes at last year’s Royal Ascot Festival, but despite following that up with Newbury’s Hungerford Stakes last August, Richard Hannon’s five-year-old has remained winless in five 2024 outings, although he was far from disgraced in coming fourth of 13 in this year’s Queen Anne Stakes 11 days ago.

Higher up the betting, both Pogo and Nostrum are capable performers, but they will need to put in career-best performances to get the better of strongly-fancied market leaders Noble Dynasty and Tiber Flow.

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Noble Dynasty has emerged as the warm favourite at the time of writing, and Charlie Appleby’s lightly-raced six-year-old certainly arrives in prime form after landing a 10-runner handicap at this venue (Rowley course) last time out eight weeks ago.

A stop-start career that included a complete absence from the track in 2023 has nevertheless yielded six wins and two runner-up spots from just a dozen outings, and he looks sure to be a big player here under the guidance of William Buick.

With little to choose between the two principals, our nod in terms of betting value is going in the direction of Tiber Flow, despite the William Haggas-trained five-year-old being forced to concede three pounds to all of his five rivals here.

Tiber Flow kicked off his career with stunning figures of 11121 in early 2022, and although that promise inevitably stalled in the face of higher-graded opposition, he has looked back to his best so far this term.

Suggested best bet: Tiber Flow in the 15:25 at Newmarket

Fifth of 14 in the Abernant Stakes over the Rowley course here in April, his hopes of landing a blow in the Duke Of York Stakes a month later were scuppered when unluckily brought down a furlong out.

Undaunted and seemingly none the worse, he returned to action in the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock three weeks ago, when he saw off 10 very capable rivals (including the reopposing Pogo and Witch Hunter) with enough in hand to suggest he can raise the bar again here.

Tom Marquand has been on board for all but three of Tiber Flow’s 15 career outings, and he’s in the saddle again here, fresh from having teamed up with Haggas to land a winner here on Thursday, and also in their last race on Friday at Newcastle.

• Tip advised by GV Early Alerts on Tipstrr

 

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