3.25pm - Group 2 bet365 Superlative Stakes
This is another very good two-year-old contest on Saturday, and I am all over Wathnan Racing’s Columnist, who has had just two runs to date, but has placed in a Group 2 contest at Royal Ascot on just his second ever career run.
Richard Fahey's son of Ardad was a very nice winner on debut in a novice stakes at Chester, which takes some doing given the fact that Chester is a very tricky track to get used to. He had the plumb draw in stall 1, which was ideal for him that day, and he broke very well, made all and soon powered clear in the closing stages to win by a little under 4 lengths, and those sort of winning margins are pretty hard to come by at Chester, especially for a first-time-out horse.
He then went on to back that very nice debut effort up with a hugely impressive third in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting last month, where he was sent off 50/1 in the market. The horse did not clearly know his price, as he ran on very well in the closing stages and was only just beaten by a quarter of a length in the end.
Given his odds,that was a very good run, and I think this step up in trip should more than suit this horse here come Saturday. I am excited to see how he gets on against an unbeaten Godolphin horse that looks equally as talented as Columnist.
- Selection - Columnist (5/1 Win)
4.00pm - bet365 Bunbury Cup
A real competitive and tricky contest to figure out the winner, but that is usually the case when it comes to this race. However, catching the eye is Gorak for Charlie Fellows and Kieran Shoemark, a horse that tends to run very well at Newmarket.
He was a decent fourth on seasonal debut back in April, only beaten by a little over 4 lengths, that set him up nicely for another tilt at a pretty valuable handicap contest over course and distance, where he was just touched off into second, only beaten by a short head after running on very well.
The effort last time was a little disappointing, but no matter if he had extra legs there was no way he would have landed a glove on English Oak, who won the contest in very good fashion. Although finishing 12th of 26 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting last time, he was only beaten by 9 lengths and was probably on completely the wrong side of the draw.
He has some decent form figures over seven furlongs at Newmarket, and given the fact he runs off the same mark here, which is only a pound higher than his runner-up finish at Newmarket a few weeks back, he can finally land one of these big-field handicaps at a track he is loving at the moment.
- Selection - Gorak (8/1 Each-way)
4.35pm - Group 1 My Pension Expert July Cup Stakes
I think this is a really good contest that the younger horses seem to have dominated in years gone by, especially ones that land the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, before heading for this. Given the fact the Commonwealth Cup was only introduced in 2015 and two horses have gone on to then win the July Cup Stakes, it is usually a good marker to keep an eye on for the feature contest come Saturday.
Although Inisherin won the Commonwealth Cup last time, and he was more than worthy of winning the race as he hacked up in brilliant fashion, I do firmly believe that if Vandeek had been turned up for the race, the rest would have been playing for places.
Granted the Simon and Ed Crisford horse was a disappointing third in the Sandy Lane Stakes some seven weeks ago, but he clearly needed the run that day and that race was actually won by the eventual Commonwealth Cup winner, who was going into that contest with race fitness on his side. Granted, Vandeek has a little break and niggling injury to overcome here, but I think he will be more than ready to land this contest on Saturday.
If he can re-produce his dual-Group 1 winning form as a two-year-old, then no one will catch him, as he was very impressive in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, and the form of those races is very strong indeed. It seems a little too early to be saying he has not trained on, and we will be in a better position to judge that after his next run on Saturday.
If he is all ok after the slight injury concern and he turns up race fit, then he is the one they all have to chase over the winning line come Saturday. He is the highest rated in the field still and put in one of the best two-year-old seasons we have seen in a little while for a UK-based trainer.
It is a shame City Of Troy is around, as his two-year-old campaign did slightly overshadow Vandeek's, and I can't wait to see if Vandeek is fit enough to show his class on Saturday.
- Selection - Vandeek (4/1 Win)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell