Timeform TV Focus: ITV racing tips for Saturday

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Newcastle

1.35 1 pt – 13 City House 7/1

A good-quality sprint handicap that’s likely to require the winner to be a fair bit ahead of his/her mark. Wiltshire could be just that, presumably unsuited by firmish ground last time out but value for plenty extra when successful at Newbury on his first start for William Haggas in April and very interesting back on the all-weather given he’s unbeaten in two starts on artificial surfaces. City House is even more dependent on the all-weather on the evidence to date, producing a career best when touched off by Drama when returned to Kempton for his most recent outing. City House was probably a bit unfortunate, too, not only catching the quirky Drama on a going day but asked to come from further back than that one, too, impressing with the way he made up his ground. Newcastle could suit even better given his run-style and, whilst three-year-olds don’t run that often in this race, it’s worth noting that they do have a good record.   

2.04 1 pt – 9 Spycatcher 9/2

Kinross heads the Timeform ratings for this long-standing Group 3 but there are sufficient niggles not to be suggesting him at the prices on Friday afternoon, without his usual rider Frankie Dettori, not having run for eight months and ideally needing an end-to-end gallop and/or softish ground to produce his very best at 6f. Spycatcher is a perfectly plausible alternative. Admittedly, he didn’t run very well when down the field in the Duke of York last time out, but that was such an uncharacteristic effort that it could be best to ignore. He’d certainly shaped as if as good as ever when a close third from an ordinary draw in the Abernant on his reappearance and his all-weather record is hard to knock, clear of the rest when touched off by Tiber Flow in this twelve months ago.

2.35 1 pt – 13 Marbuzet 9/1

It’s only six years ago that the top weight for the Plate consolation was running from a BHA mark of 97, whereas this year it’s just 83. This does mean that the consistent Marbuzet is able to sneak in towards the foot of the weights and, given how he performed in a similar quality race at Thirsk (from 1 lb higher) last time out, it’s reasonable to believe he’ll again be thereabouts. He wasn’t quite seen to best effect that day, either, suffering a bit of trouble on more than one occasions, whilst his tendency to race prominently could prove advantageous in this given there’s no guarantee of it being run at a proper gallop.

3.05 1 pt ew – 5 Onesmoothoperator 9/1

The Plate itself is also lacking a bit of overall quality, just two of the 20-strong field racing from BHA marks of more than 95, giving the race a bit of a lopsided look in truth. It is at least far more likely to be run at a solid pace, however, and that should be in favour of Onesmoothoperator given he tends to be patiently ridden. He’s held his form well since landing the rerouted November Handicap here last back-end, shaping notably well when returned to this trip at Southwell last time out, coming from a poor position to split the more prominently-ridden pair of Prydwen and Pledgeofallegiance. Onesmoothoperator has been kept fresh for this since, his yard is going better now than when he last ran and, whilst accepting he had a rare off-day in this race a couple of years ago, he really is notably reliable when it comes to racing on artificial surfaces. He’s worth backing each-way, several firms offering 1/5 odds and at least 6 places.

3.40 1 pt – 1 Grey’s Monument 10/1

On the face of things Grey’s Monument isn’t that well treated off a mark of 105, but he might have a bit of a class edge in a handicap in which a third of the field are running off marks in the 80s, and there is recent history of Ralph Beckett-trained horses putting up big handicap efforts, thinking of Starlust’s win at York in May and Sonny Liston’s fine second in the Royal Hunt Cup. It’s true that Grey’s Monument didn’t run particularly well on either of his first two outings this season, but he returns from a 7-week break with his stable in better form, and the return to artificial surfaces looks an interesting angle, remembering that he produced a career-best effort when successful in a listed race at Kempton in December on his only all-weather start to date.

Newmarket

2.15 1 pt – 11 Tales of The Heart 7/2

This looks very open, as while there isn’t a form standout, most line up open to improvement. Tales of The Heart shades it on Timeform ratings, with both the third and fourth from her Kempton maiden win having run with credit in Chesham at Royal Ascot, and she does look a very solid option from towards the top of the betting. As a half-sister to a Flying Childers winner, she’s got the pedigree to make a mark at this level, and her trainer Ralph Beckett has won two of the last four editions of this race. William Buick is obviously a positive jockey booking, and a stiffer test here should suit Tales of The Heart judged on the way she picked up strongly in the final furlong at Kempton.

2.50 1 pt – 6 Verbier 12/1

King of Conquest is a solid operator at this level and will probably confirm form with the ones he beat at Goodwood last time, even with a penalty to carry, but it’s not as if he’s got any potential for improvement. Indeed, the only two with any scope in that department are Crystal Delight and Verbier and, at the prices, it’s worth taking a chance that the latter can step up. She’s got the most to find on form, but it’s not as if she’s miles behind, and improvement hardly looks out of the question on what’ll be just the sixth outing of her life. Verbier has reached a useful level of form despite running in some rather muddling races, and this more galloping test could well be in her favour, not least as stepping up to a mile and a half promises to suit, based on both pedigree (her dam was useful over the trip and one of her half-brothers won over further still) and the way she shaped when not bottomed out in fourth in a listed race at Ayr last month.

3.25 1 pt – 6 Witch Hunter 15/2

This might be well run despite the small field – the riders on Noble Dynasty and Pogo will surely be keen to get on with things, while Nostrum and Dear My Friend are both plausible pace-forcers – which could play to the strengths of hold-up performer Witch Hunter. He was disappointing when sent off towards the top of the betting for the John of Gaunt won by the reopposing Tiber Flow at Haydock two starts back, but there’s no knocking in-frame efforts in the Lockinge and the Queen Anne either side of that, and a win in the Group 2 Hungerford at Newbury last season shows what he can do when things go his way. A straight seven furlongs might be his optimum test – he also won the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot in 2023 – and if this does develop to suit him then he’s certainly good enough to go close.

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