Free betting preview and tips Saturday racing | Simon Holt: Mondain money

Recommended bets, October 10

1pt win Crystal Pegasus in 2.35 York at 11/2

1pt win Magical Spirit in 3.10 York at 12/1

2pts win Mondain in 3.35 Newmarket at 12/1

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In a typically competitive renewal of Saturday's Together For Racing International Cesarewitch at Newmarket, MONDAIN can follow up his runaway victory at Ayr last month which still leaves him 3lb well in at the weights despite a 4lb penalty.

Mark Johnston's stoutly-bred Dubawi gelding (out of a Monsun mare) rocketed clear in Scotland over just half a furlong short of this distance and, while that was a weaker race, he looks a progressive stayer.

On his previous start, the four-year-old couldn't live with the talented Believe In Love over a mile-and-three-quarters on Newmarket's July Course but was still more than seven lengths clear of the rest, and the winner has since finished third in the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

A convincing scorer over the stiff two miles at Newcastle in June (in the Northumberland Plate consolation race), Mondain also made a bold bid under Andrea Atzeni (his booked rider here) when second to Island Brave at Ascot in August after being prominent all the way in a race in which it paid to come from off the pace.

So, sure to stay, well handicapped and in grand form, he is a solid proposition.

With some top-class two-year-old races at Newmarket looking difficult to call, I would prefer to take my chances in the handicaps at York.

In the Coral Sprint Trophy, MAGICAL SPIRIT is taken to defy a 10lb rise in the weights for his remarkable victory in the Ayr Silver Cup last month when he made just about all the running and stormed clear of 23 rivals to win by three-and-a-half lengths from the re-opposing Admirality (now 7lb better off).

It looks like a recent wind operation has made all the difference to Kevin Ryan's gelding who has promised plenty in the past and, considering his winning time at Ayr was just 0.31 of a second slower than Nahaarr's later success in the Ayr Gold Cup, it is unlikely that the performance was a fluke.

Indeed, it would be no surprise if Magical Spirit developed into a bold type performer in the future.

Earlier, CRYSTAL PEGASUS can complete a hat-trick in the Coral Beaten By A Length Free Bet Handicap.

Sir Michael Stoute's likeable son of Australia has gone up just 4lb in the ratings for winning his last two starts at Bath and Yarmouth over this trip of a mile-and-a-quarter having earlier run the subsequent winner Brilliant Light to a neck at Wolverhampton (1m4f).

Crystal Pegasus is bred to be better than his current rating of 91 hailing from the family of Crystal Ocean, Crystal Capella and Hillstar who all handled cut in the ground well, and this genuine sort should find conditions in his favour.

Posted at 1625 BST on 09/10/20

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