Ben Linfoot free horse racing tips for ITV racing at Newmarket Saturday May 4
Our form expert has had 12/1, 25/1 and 11/2 winners in his last three columns - don't miss his four bets for Newmarket on Saturday.
The Verdict: Saturday, May 4
1pt e.w. Abate in 1.45 Newmarket at 22/1 (William Hill 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
1pt win Chairmanoftheboard in 1.45 Newmarket at 9/1 (General)
1pt win Liberty Lane in 2.20 Newmarket at 10/1 (General)
2pts win Kerdos in 2.55 Newmarket at 11/2 (General)
Back Kerdos to storm the Palace
It’s an exciting edition of the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with long-time antepost favourite City Of Troy attempting to land odds-on favouritism for Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore.
He looked an exceptional prospect at two after three excellent efforts at the Curragh and on both Newmarket courses, his Dewhurst win on the Rowley Mile a nice blueprint for how connections would like his 2000 Guineas to pan out.
With his juvenile form franked this spring and the promise of more to come as a three-year-old, I’m in no rush to have a bet against him in the race and will simply watch and enjoy.
Clive Cox trains one of the more appealing each-way alternatives in the race in Ghostwriter and he’s a horse to keep an eye on for the future, his pedigree suggesting he could be very good over 10 furlongs or even further as the season progresses.
He’s an interesting project for Cox who is better known for his prowess with sprinters and with that in mind I’m backing his KERDOS to come out on top in the Group 3 William Hill Palace House Stakes.
This is a tough race for three-year-olds and Mitbaahy probably wants six furlongs, so I’m drawn to the chances of Kerdos who was good last year but promises to be even better as a four-year-old.
That was certainly how life panned out for his sire, Profitable, trained by Cox and a winner of this race in 2016, a career-best at the time but form he bettered when winning the Temple and King’s Stand Stakes on his next two starts.
There are few better trainers at nurturing top-class sprinters as they get older than Cox and he highlighted this horse’s four-year-old campaign as something to look forward to right after he won the Beverley Bullet last September.
Kerdos returned at Bath in a heavy ground handicap where he gave loads of weight to everything from a perch of 107, his six-length defeat in difficult circumstances nothing more than a pipe opener for the season ahead.
It should bring him on nicely for this assignment and in an average renewal he looks a good bet at 11/2.
The Verdict: Back KERDOS in the 2.55 Newmarket
Take two against the field in big sprint
Earlier on the Newmarket card, ABATE looks a good each-way bet in the William Hill Extra Place Races Handicap for Adrian Nicholls.
The eight-year-old gets on well with the undulations at Newmarket, having a terrific record on the July Course and the Rowley Mile, his all the way neck win from a mark of 82 in September good recent evidence of his effectiveness on this track.
He ran well on his seasonal reappearance here too, trying to make all again under Mia Nicholls before he faded into sixth in the closing stages. She wasn’t hard on him, though, and he usually needs a run, so it should bring him on for this.
There's not an awful lot of early pace against him here and if he gets rolling on the front end he could be hard to reel in.
However, I do want a saver on Jack Channon’s CHAIRMANOFTHEBOARD.
He ran a cracking race in this contest 12 months ago when second to Probe off a 2lb higher mark and he has several pieces of good Rowley Mile form on his C.V.
Last time at Newbury he came on loads for his Doncaster return when finishing second in a bunched photo after coming from further back than those that finished around him and I’d expect him to be ridden more prominently here by Eddie Greatrex, a jockey making a super return to the saddle after a long absence.
The Verdict: Back ABATE (E.W) and CHAIRMANOFTHEBOARD in 1.45 Newmarket
Taking a Liberty for red-hot Burke
Finally, Karl Burke’s team are in flying form and his LIBERTY LANE could be the horse to make a fool of the handicapper in the William Hill Suffolk Stakes at 2.20.
The son of Teofilo looked a horse to keep on the right side of when he travelled so well in victory at Doncaster’s Leger meeting last September, winning a mile handicap by a nose after rallying late in proceedings after being headed a furlong out.
Tried over 10 furlongs on multiple occasions as a three-year-old, including in the Dante, this intermediate trip could be perfect for him and it’s worth putting a line through his Lincoln run where he raced in the teeth of the headwind out on the wing from his high draw.
It was notable how well-backed he was that day, though, going off 5/1, and it would be no surprise if he gets back in the groove here with his team still likely having Group-race aspirations for the four-year-old.
The Verdict: Back LIBERTY LANE in the 2.20 Newmarket
Preview posted at 1555 BST on 03/05/24
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