All the latest rumours and whispers from the gallops...
All the latest rumours and whispers from the gallops...

Catching Pigeons: Gossip and tips from the gallops


There's a buzz around Newmarket for Culturati at York on Saturday and we round up all the latest tips and gossip from the gallops.

Catching Pigeons: Best bets

2.05 York

3.00 Ascot

7.15 Salisbury


Makzeem ran a cracker in the Bunbury Cup on his latest start and is worth persevering with for the Gigaset International at Ascot on Saturday.

Roger Charlton has had a few near misses with Al Kazeem's brother, but he has won this type of race before, and his length and a quarter fifth to Burnt Sugar on ground a little faster than ideal at Newmarket two weeks ago was a fine effort on what was his first outing for two months.

The forecast rain will give his chances a further boost if, as expected it arrives in the morning, and the fact Ryan Moore renews the partnership from Newmarket, is another plus.

He looks the best bet at Ascot, with Coronet a sporting each-way selection in the feature King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

John Gosden will monitor the weather for Cracksman but it's hard to be dogmatic over his claims even if the heavens do open, whereas stable companion Coronet - a winner over this course and distance last summer when taking the Ribblesdale Stakes under Saturday's rider Olivier Peslier - looks on the upgrade.

She just missed out in a head-bobber in a Group One in France last time and will be brought with a late run to pick up any pieces. She could just be able to muscle in on the action to upset Sir Michael Stoute's pair, Crystal Ocean and Poet's Word, with the latter seemingly preferred by some of the stable staff in the Stoute camp.

Nate The Grate can come out best in what looks a very interesting race for the Listed Wooldridge Group Pat Eddery Stakes.

Archie Watson continues to ride the crest of the wave with his two-year-olds and this son of Nathaniel just missed out on initiating what would have been a famous juvenile double on the final day of the Royal meeting here five weeks ago.

Only greenness prevented him from winning the Chesham Stakes, and he will have learnt plenty from the experience, following a fairly comfortable debut win at Carlisle. Watson has given him plenty of time to recover from those exertions, and he could have the speed to account for Lambourn rival Glorious Lover and Michael Bell’s progressive Master Brewer, who has been going well in his work at HQ.

Scintillating could prove the value to beat talented rivals Royal Intervention and Angel's Hideaway in the Group Three Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes.

There was a strong message for Ralph Beckett’s filly on her debut at Newbury just over three weeks ago and she duly delivered a very impressive display. She showed a smart turn of foot after travelling well throughout and readily saw off her rivals, headed by Posted and the well-fancied favourite Ascended.

She looked every inch a filly bound for pattern company and it is interesting that her shrewd trainer has decided to dip his toe in immediately after her debut outing.

Crack On Crack On can put his nightmare at Royal Ascot firmly behind him in the Porsche Handicap. Clive Cox has given the three-year-old a decent break since his luckless effort in the Britannia Stakes when he could never get in a blow at the leaders after suffering interference at the start.

He stuck on to good effect in the closing stages, however, and he might well have finished in front of George Of Hearts, a main rival here. Prior to that performance, he won both his comeback effort at Lingfield and a valuable event at Haydock with a powerful late surge, and there is a strong chance he will be be running on well again at the business end here, especially if there is a decent early gallop.

Cox will be hoping the rain materialises just to take any sting out of the surface for Crack On Crack On, and the same will apply for the well-regarded Now Children in the Canisbay Bloodstock Handicap. He looks to have a tough task with his big weight, but he is a horse with plenty of talent, and may reward an each-way investment. Whatever happens here, he is a horse to follow.

If today isn't the day for him, the red-hot Sleeping Lion looks the one to be on for James Fanshawe and Tom Queally.

Culturati has his fair share of issues physically, but he is still a relatively unexposed individual as a result, and is fancied to make a winning reappearance for the second year in a row in the Sky Bet Britain's Most Popular Online Bookmaker Handicap at York.

The five-year-old did not reappear after his comfortable length and a half success over Scorching Heat at Newmarket just over a year ago, but Charlie Appleby has him primed and ready for his comeback, and he remains nicely weighted despite a 6lb rise in his ratings.

Tommy Taylor has shown his liking for York in the past and he can bounce back to form in the Sky Bet Dash Handicap.

His last win here came in a Listed event last September, but his form has fallen away a little since and he was fitted with cheekpieces at Chester last time. However, he never had any realistic chance from his outside draw and will be much better suited to this straight six furlong.

The headgear remains in place and he looks worth taking a chance on with the return to a double-digit handicap rating of 98.

Fabricate can take the Sky Bet York Stakes, with David Allan drafted in for the Queen's six-year-old. The ground looked a bit too lively for him in the Wolferton at the Royal meeting and his subsequent work on the Watered Gallop suggests much better can be anticipated here.

Great Midge showed the benefit of a Winter gelding operation to finish second to Tashaaboh at Doncaster on his second start four weeks ago, and he is fancied to go one better in the Oakwoods Novice Stakes at Salisbury.

Although that form looks nothing out of the ordinary, he had the rest of the field nicely beaten, and should be able to improve, given the performance came six months after his previous run.

William Haggas could be in winning form at the same venue courtesy of Nicklaus in the T & M Glass Ltd Handicap. He beat a solid yardstick in Vincenzo Coccotti at Newbury last time and the second has come out and run really well again at Doncaster in midweek.

Respectable produced a performance to match her name on her only outing as a juvenile and should make up for lost time in the Ella Morton Is Getting Married Novice Stakes. Ralph Beckett has clearly had to tread the careful path with the daughter of Champs Elysees, but a repeat of anything like her two-length second to Nell Gwyn winner and Irish 1,000 Guineas fourth Soliloquy, is sure to give her five runners a lot to do.

Sticking with Salisbury and it looks interesting that Luke Morris hangs around for the concluding TDK Trade Roofs Ltd Handicap, in which Praeceps could be at least competitive.

Prescott's horses look exceptionally well in their skin and the results on the track have been fantastic, with Praeceps showing improved form when third at Wolverhampton earlier this month. There's likely more to come from this gelded son of Canford Cliffs.

Rashdan can get back in the groove for Hugo Palmer in the Collingwood Young Driver Insurance Silk Series Lady Riders' Handicap, while Dubai Dominion can make it second time lucky for Ed Vaughan in the Heath Court Hotel EBF Novice Stakes at Newmarket.

Gabr looks well set for a confidence-boosting victory in Sunday's Sky Bet Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival Pomfret Stakes.

He looks well placed here in receipt of weight from the older horses and any rain in the area over the weekend would be most welcome.

Looking further ahead to next week, Without Parole is going through the gears with gusto in preparation for the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and Stoute's filly Veracious looks particularly lively ahead of a possible bid for glory in the Group One Nassau Stakes.

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