Our racing expert Ben Linfoot has three tips for Saturday's action at Newbury and Newmarket including a horse who is one from one at the latter.
The Verdict tips: Saturday May 20
1pt win Gaassee in 2.25 Newbury at 9/1 (General, 10/1 Boylesports)
2pts win Exoplanet in 3.00 Newbury at 5/1 (General)
1pt win Air To Air in 3.50 Newmarket at 15/2 (General)
Exoplanet looks this year’s LGC
The Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the feature race at Newbury on Saturday and it’s a really competitive renewal with several form lines thrown together as the mile division looks for a new star.
Modern Games is the one multiple top-level winner in the field and all four of his G1 wins have come overseas, so this offers a chance for a first UK Group 1 on the back of a second at Keeneland last month.
He looks the right favourite as My Prospero's best form is over further and Laurel still has to go and do it, for all her potential.
Mutasaabeq might be vulnerable with likely pace pressure against him in this bigger field back in a Group 1 and it wouldn’t surprise me if Light Infantry reversed their Newmarket form, but his odds look about right in such a deep race and I’ll leave the feature alone.
The supporting London Gold Cup (LGC) is renowned for having a Lurking Group Colt (LGC) amongst its number, with the likes of Al Kazeem, Cannock Chase, Time Test, Defoe and Bay Bridge graduating from this always superb handicap in the past.
It usually pays to concentrate on those horses towards the top of the weights and Roger Varian’s EXOPLANET could be the next LGC cab off the rank.
The Sea The Stars colt is entered in the King Edward VII Stakes and the Irish Derby and he made a lovely reappearance at this track when chasing home subsequent Lingfield Derby Trial winner, Military Order, and finishing ahead of subsequent York handicap winner, Chesspiece, who won on the Knavesmire from a perch of 96.
On a line through Rathgar, who was third to Chesspiece, he’s got the beating of Royal Rhyme and he beat Lieber Power by over 10 lengths at this track on debut, too, so he looks to have an edge over a few rivals around him in the betting from his mark of 97.
The same connections won this race with Defoe, who went on to be a G1 winner, and his wide draw in 16 shouldn’t be an inconvenience for Jack Mitchell who can drop him in early.
The favourite Desert Hero, with his Derby entry, is the other obvious one, but he hung quite markedly when winning at Redcar last October and this looks plan-B as William Haggas mentioned a Derby trial as a starting point for him.
I’m happy to take him on and though Exoplanet has hardly been missed by the market at 5/1, it’s a price that could look a gift in time, hopefully by 3.05 on Saturday afternoon.
The Verdict: Back EXOPLANET in the 3.00 Newbury at 5/1
Step on the Gaas in Al Rayyan Stakes
Earlier on the card Yibir returns in the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes but he usually needs a run and he's not one to trust at short odds having been beaten at 1/4 and 11/20 last year.
There are some interesting potential improvers in against him and the one I like is GAASSEE for Haggas who has always had a high opinion of the son of Sea The Stars.
He's had G1 entries in the past and ran well a couple of times last season, notably when winning a York handicap off 94 first-time up and when he was third in the Old Newton Cup off 101 at Haydock in July where a slow start didn’t help his cause.
His trainer wasted no time in gelding him after his Ebor no-show and that can pay dividends now he has turned five.
Rated 103, he has plenty to find here, but it looks significant that his trainer has opted to ignore the obvious handicap route and he reminds me of Mukhadram for the same trainer, who graduated from handicaps in the G3 Brigadier Gerard before going on to race at the top level (including a Coral-Eclipse win).
Haggas has won this race the last two years and last year’s winner, Ilaraab, for the same owner, was up against it on ratings, too, so I’m happy to take odds of 9/1 and above.
The Verdict: Back GAASSEE in the 2.25 Newbury
Air up at Newmarket
The one bet I like the look of at Newmarket is AIR TO AIR in the Aspall Blush Cyder Handicap for George Boughey and David Probert.
This horse won on his only previous visit to the Rowley Mile in a novice race on this card two years ago and he was sent off as the 11/2 favourite for the Britannia after that, finishing fourth in his group after losing a shoe.
He has looked a better horse over seven furlongs, though, improving last year at four when winning at Yarmouth on his seasonal reappearance, while he finished a neck second off 95 at Doncaster.
Slowly away when doing well to come from the rear to be second to Zip at Newcastle in January, he has the look of a horse with more races in him this year as he’s from a family that improve with age (related to the slow burner but good horse Air Pilot).
Boughey looks to have found a good spot for him here and he can travel away strongly in mid-pack with The Gatekeeper likely to tow them along at an adequate clip.
There’s a chance the Charlie Johnston horse could get a freebie on the front end again, but at 15/2 Air To Air looks a bet to reel him in.
The Verdict: Back AIR TO AIR in the 3.50 Newmarket
Preview posted at 1615 BST on 19/05/23
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