The TV racing looks competitive on Saturday, with plenty of value to be had. Naturally, Matty Sutcliffe has plenty to work with, picking out five best bets for you to follow.
1:50 York – Doug Johnston Memorial Ubettabelieveit Macmillan Handicap (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-95) – Green Pursuit 25/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
Several in this field would prefer either softer ground or a sharper track, and I’m surprised to see GREEN PURSUIT toward the rear of the market who ran an excellent race in the circumstances over C&D in this class last time out.
The race paid to favour those toward the rear, with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th all coming from either rear or midfield. The first one home to be ridden prominently was Frankie’s Dream, who won in gutsy fashion next time out over C&D from a 4lbs higher mark and is now rated 8lbs higher, and the next horse to have been prominent and ran since was Gallanty who finished two places behind Green Pursuit in ninth, who’s also won since and is now rated 4lbs higher. The only other horse to have been ridden prominently and ran since was Miss Hathway who finished a fourteen length thirteenth, and she’s also come out since to be beaten a length into third albeit in a weaker class.
Green Pursuit was prominent around the outer without cover under Joe Fanning, and perhaps hit the front too soon two furlongs from home, weakening late on and was looked after once short of room on the far side rail, only beaten three lengths. The handicapper unfortunately hasn’t relented, but he gets in here off bottom weight carrying just 8-2 and with the first time blinkers equipped from stall four, he looks overpriced for frame possibilities should he adopt prominent tactics once more for the in form Adrian Keatley, particularly given how well handicapped he looked on the Silver Bowl form with the winner subsequently finished runner up in a pair of class two contests.
2:05 Sandown – Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-100) – Asteverdi 6/1 1.5pt WIN
Oisin Murphy has an excellent record when teaming up with Hugo Palmer, with a 26.44% all time strike rate and a £36.14 profit margin to a £1 stake, narrow that down to 2025 and it reads 19-10-3 (52.63%) with a £26.53 return, so ASTEVERDI has to be considered on her first start for Hugo Palmer.
The Advertise filly is the sole C&D winner in the field, and her form on ground described softer than ‘good’ reads 121331. She hasn’t been seen since landing a Nottingham 0-82 in good fashion last October, but that was a career best RPR of 88 and she won by a length going away. She ran well fresh last season, and in a contest where several look handicappers accordingly, she’s worth a play particularly considering how well she won over C&D on this card last year, with that form working out well.
2:05 York – Queen Mother’s Cup Handicap (For Female Amateur Jockeys) (GBBPlus Race) (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-90) – Maghlaak 9/2 1.5pt WIN
Adrian Keatley and Jodie Townend teamed up to land this contest with Kihavah in 2023, who won the same contest MAGHLAAK was second last time en-route. Maghlaak looked a shade unlucky there not to land the spoils, as he split a pair of runners who came from midfield and the winner was well backed.
The first time headgear that day is persevered with, and while he’s gone up 3lbs in the weights, he’s only 2lbs higher than his success in a class two at Goodwood last term and remains a pound lower than his peak mark from last season which include two solid efforts in class two company. This is only his second run on the flat for the season, and a repeat of last time out should be enough for victory here in a race which will surely have been the plan.
3:20 Chester – Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing Handicap (Class 2) (3yo) 0 Liberalised 25/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
A chance is taken on LIBERALISED , who either hasn’t trained on since leaving the Karl Burke yard for 37,000gns, or could win this comfortably on the balance of her two year old form. Stall nine doesn’t immediately bode much confidence, but stall eleven of thirteen took this last year and the widest stall (10) took it in 2023, which bodes well on second glance.
Her form this season requires a leap of faith to back her here, but she was well beaten over five furlongs on seasonal debut in France over five furlongs, and she’s had three starts on the allweather which perhaps aren’t her bag, for all she stuck on well enough last time out at Kempton.
She’s dropped 14lbs pound from her peak 2yo mark to a mark of 80, and given she was beaten only three lengths in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket and five lengths behind Lake Victoria in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes, I’m happy to chance that if she can rediscover that form then there’s little reason as to why she should go well here.
Not only that, but her three lengths third at Haydock last September reads exceptionally well, as the winner is now rated 104 for William Haggas and the second, who she was giving 8lbs to, is now rated 95. Her dam and one of her half sister managed to win as 3yos which bodes well, and the in-form Jack Doughty is a promising jockey booking given his proven ability riding around sharp tracks.
3:35 York – Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) – Fast Track Harry 12/1 1pt WIN
Clive Cox has took two of the last three renewals of this competitive 3yo sprint, with the latter going on to win listed/group contests and FAST TRACK HARRY gets the nod of his three declared.
The son of Harry Angel was a highly promising winner of a Newbury Maiden on debut when quickly putting the race to bed when unfavourably drawn low. The second won next time out producing an RPR of 91, and third won next time out producing an RPR of 85 (now rated 87).
There was seemingly little excuses for his disappointing effort at Doncaster in listed company, but a subsequent wind op saw him return a facile winner back over that C&D on seasonal debut when bolting up under a penalty giving 7lbs to the field, clocking a quicker time than the 86 rated Twilight Romance did who made all carrying a pound less two races later, and only a marginally slower time than the 82 rated Tawasol did who was carrying 5lbs less the race later.
He put the race to bed with an impressive turn of foot two furlongs out with a 10.91 second furlong, .31sec quicker than the next, and he was the sole horse to clock a finishing speed percentage of 100+. That turn of foot bodes extremely well for a York sprint particularly if finding trouble in running, and an opening mark of 90 could’ve been much worse.
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