John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Sprint Cup winner Montassib returns at Newbury
William Haggas’s smart sprinter Montassib runs over five furlongs for the first time in the World Trophy Stakes at Newbury (13:30) which is an obvious question mark, but last year’s Sprint Cup winner has plenty going for him in this Group 3 contest in other respects.
The fact that this will be his first run since finishing fifth in last autumn’s Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot is less of a concern given that he has a good record fresh; as well as winning on his debut at three, he has also won twice since on his seasonal reappearances. He will also have the going to suit, being proven under softer conditions for all that his big win at Haydock just over a year ago, when beating Kind of Blue by a head, came on good ground.
It’s also worth noting that Montassib escapes a penalty for that Group 1 success and is getting weight from Rumstar, a dual Group 3 winner this season, so he heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings here by a couple of pounds from that rival. Last but not least, William Haggas has the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag with his yard in top form, while Montassib’s jockey Cieren Fallon has won listed races for the stable this month on Elmonjed and Hamish.
Cesarewitch hope Belgravian going for four-timer in Trial
Racing returns to Newmarket’s Rowley Mile for the first time since May with the Cesarewitch Trial (15:55) being the feature event on the card. While it’s a prep race over the same two and a quarter miles of the famous staying handicap run next month, it’s a valuable contest in its own right worth more than £25,000 to the winner.
Belgravian is challenging for Cesarewitch favouritism and ‘Hot Trainer’ Andrew Balding’s highly progressive three-year-old can confirm his place in the field by beating older rivals here first. While he got off the mark in a handicap over a mile and a half at Doncaster in June, it is really since stepping up to two miles that Belgravian’s form has taken off and he comes here after completing a hat-trick at the trip at Doncaster, Haydock and Goodwood.
He was most impressive when beating another progressive three-year-old, Deep Water Bay, by nearly five lengths last time despite being eased, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag, and heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings with a ‘p’ denoting further improvement is expected, despite a 10 lb hike in the weights. He can emulate Grand Providence, another Balding-trained three-year-old, who won this two years ago.
Jim Goldie set for more success at Ayr
Local trainer Jim Goldie has just the one runner in his bid to win the Ayr Gold Cup for the first time, with last year’s fifth Jordan Electrics bidding to give stable apprentice Lauren Young another big sprint handicap seven days after winning the Portland on stablemate Eternal Sunshine. However, Jordan Electrics looks to have place possibilities at best in a race where Northern Ticker looks to have the best claims for another trainer seeking a first Ayr Gold Cup victory, Michael Dods.
But Goldie, who has the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag, had a treble on the first day of the Ayr meeting and, not surprisingly, will be keen to win at least one of the divisions of the Jordan Electrics Handicap over seven furlongs at the end of the card. Goldie has four runners in both races, with a particularly strong hand in division one (16:40) where course-and-distance winners Kelpie Grey and Jannas Journey have leading claims.
Slight preference is for the latter who is enjoying a terrific season and won her sixth race of the year at Musselburgh a week ago. That followed a five-timer in the summer, with four of those wins coming at Ayr which earns her the ‘Horses For Courses’ flag. Only 3 lb higher for her neck win last time, Jannas Journey can win again with David Egan taking over in the saddle.
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