Best Bets: Horse racing tips from Sporting Life and Timeform team

LOVE BILLY BOY - 2.05 Newmarket (David Johnson)

This looks an open race, but it’s a surprise that LOVE BILLY BOY isn’t favourite at the time of writing. He shaped well at the track over 6f at the Craven meeting and stepped up on that when touched off over C&D at the Guineas meeting. That looks the strongest piece of form in this, and by some way. There a couple of lurkers in here that don’t yet look exposed, but they’ll surely all need to improve to get the better of Love Billy Boy is he reproduces that last run.

DASHING DARCEY – 2.05 Newmarket (Ben Linfoot)

DASHING DARCEY ran a cracking race after missing the break at Chester last time and he can land the Jenningsbet Handicap over seven furlongs at Newmarket for Roger Varian. The son of Muhaarar was poorly positioned at Chester but he ran on well for third in a hot race and he remains on the same mark of 87. This looks a close-knit handicap but Aidan Keeley’s 3lb claim could make all the difference and he can be aggressive on him if needs be as he stays further.

JAMES'S DELIGHT – 2.25 Newbury (Andrew Asquith)

A competitive Listed event, but one I expect JAMES'S DELIGHT to come out on top in. He is a much improved performer this season, bolting up on his return in a six-furlong handicap at Pontefract before perhaps not staying in the Greenham at this course next time under another positive ride. He bounced back to form with a bang when defying a BHA mark of 97 back at six furlongs at Newmarket last time with a bit in hand and this improving sprinter has to be in with a big shout.

KING’S GAMBIT - 3.00 Newbury (Graeme North)

Aidan O’Brien brings across the well-entered-up Chantilly for the London Gold Cup at Newbury (3.00) and he’s not going to be a walkover, clearly, but the Charlton family have won this race several times in recent years and look to have an excellent chance again with KING’S GAMBIT. He won his second start (here) as a two-year-old, but it is his following run at Newbury again that makes him look very well handicapped here, splitting the now Timeform 111-rated Bracken’s Laugh and the Timeform 106-rated Blue Lemons. That suggests his opening official mark of 93 is potentially generous and he can give Harry Charlton another winner in what has been an excellent campaign so far.

NEW IMAGE - 4.54 Thirsk (Ian Ogg)

NEW IMAGE looks a good project for David O'Meara and can shrug off a 4lb rise for his latest success. The Juddmonte cast-off showed promise on his racecourse bow for Ger Lyons but ran only once more in 2022 before changing hands in May of last year. The Frankel gelding ran over five and six furlongs on his first two starts for O'Meara - winning the first of them - but looked more at home over this trip at Southwell last time when hitting the line strongly. There could be a good deal more to come from this well bred individual who may well need to win well in order to qualify for more valuable prizes next month.

SIYOLA - 5.15 Newbury (Matt Brocklebank)

John and Thady Gosden are seemingly struggling for Classic candidates this year but SIYOLA may be able to muscle in on the Oaks picture with victory in the concluding race at Newbury. She really impressed with the way she went about her business when beating stablemate Beeley and subsequent Musidora winner Secret Satire in a typically strong Sandown novice last month, after which connections claimed the Ribblesdale would be her primary summer target, and she looks to have a lot of class which isn't a surprise given her dam won the Falmouth among other top races. Siyola has plenty of gears and looks the pick of these promising fillies. It might be hard to turn down a trip to Epsom if she delivers in style this weekend.

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