Orazio, the beaten favourite in two of the summer’s biggest six-furlong handicaps, seems sure to start as the clear market leader for a third after Juan Les Pins was ruled out of Saturday’s Ayr Gold Cup on Friday due to concerns about softening ground at the Scottish course.
Mick Appleby’s gelding was joint-favourite with several layers on Friday morning but has never shown his best form with cut in the ground. In his absence, punters are likely to bank on Orazio to improve on his efforts when 7-2 favourite for the Wokingham in June and a 100-30 shot for the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood.
Charlie Hills’s four-year-old was caught without cover on desperate ground at Goodwood but travelled well for much of the way until fading inside the final furlong. Orazio (3.35) was previously a creditable sixth at the royal meeting, still looks well handicapped on his earlier winning form at Ascot and Newmarket and a strongly run sprint with a little juice in the ground promises to be his ideal combination.
Ayr 1.15 Titan Rock was back to form at Thirsk last time and is now 5lb below his last winning mark on turf, in a race at this meeting two years ago.
Newbury 1.30 A 455-day absence has to be a slight concern about Sense Of Duty but William Haggas’s filly has looked highly talented in her limited career to date and will be tough to beat if anywhere close to her best.
Ayr 1.50 On their respective handicap ratings, Pride Of America has several pounds in hand of Royal Rhyme, the likely favourite, so Amy Murphy’s six-year-old has to be the bet at around 11-4.
Newbury 2.05 A disappointing turn-out for a £36,000 first prize, but Oisin Murphy is an eye-catching booking for Not So Sleepy, who was running in Grade One hurdle races over the winter but finished third off this mark in last year’s Cesarewitch on the Flat.
Ayr 2.25 Even with a 5lb penalty for last week’s win at Doncaster, Rathbone is still 2lb lower in the ratings and Connor Planas takes off a useful 3lb.
Ayr 1.15 Titan Rock 1.50 Pride Of America 2.25 Rathbone (nb) 3.00 Raqiya 3.35 Orazio (nap) 4.10 City Burglar 4.45 B Associates 5.20 Mr Curiosity
Newbury 1.30 Sense Of Duty 2.05 Not So Sleepy 2.40 Le Mans 3.15 Mister Sketch 3.50 National Interest 4.25 Pearle D’Or 5.00 Bodorgan
Newmarket 1.40 Beautiful Love 2.15 High Spirited 2.50 Capital Guarantee 3.25 Abate 4.00 Campaign Trail 4.35 Prenup 5.10 Le Reveur
Catterick 1.45 Half Moon Rising 2.20 Shelbourne 2.55 Eldeyaar 3.30 Zaphea 4.05 Big Cheese 4.40 Sanction 5.15 Shark Two One 5.50 Spartakos
York 2.00 Staincliff 2.35 Award Dancer 3.10 Bulmer Bank3.45 Orbaan 4.20 Muker 4.55 Marbuzet 5.30 Sweet Fantasy
Wolverhampton 5.24 Gannon Glory 6.00 Cotai Vision 6.30 Seax 7.00 Song Of Success 7.30 Mai Dubai 8.00 Byzantine Empire 8.30 White Umbrella
Newbury 2.40 Le Mans was still showing signs of inexperience when successful at Salisbury earlier this month and has more than enough scope for progress to defy a 6lb rise.
Ayr 3.00 Owen Burrow’s Raqiya has made a highly encouraging start to her racing career and can take this Group Three event on the way to even better things.
Plumpton: 2.00 Gozo, 2.35 Gambie Tiep, 3.10 Ten Past Midnight, 3.45 Hiconic, 4.20 Elios D’Or, 4.55 Easy Peasy.
Hamilton: 2.15 Blue Storm, 2.50 Aconcagua Mountain, 3.25 Bringbackmemories, 4.00 Isle Of Dreams (nap), 4.35 Blazing Son, 5.10 Rory The Cat, 5.40 Black Smoke (nb).
Newbury 3.15 The visual impression of Mister Sketch’s wide-margin win at Salisbury last month was backed up by the time and he has more scope for improvement than most of his opponents.
