Andrew Asquith has three selections at Newbury and Ayr on Saturday in his latest ante-post column.
Weekend View: Saturday September 20
1pt win Castle Cove in the Autumn Cup Handicap at 8/1 (bet365, 15/2 Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
1pt win Almosh'her in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap at 6/1 (bet365, William Hill, Coral)
1pt win Damysus in the Doonside Cup Stakes at 5/1 (bet365, 9/2 William Hill, 4/1 General)
The ground at Newbury on Saturday looks like being on the easy side of good, currently described as good to soft, soft in places, with some rain forecast on Tuesday evening. Temperatures are set to increase towards the end of the week, though, which should help it dry out a little for the weekend.
Those should be optimum conditions for CASTLE COVE, who I fancy to run a big race in the Dubai Duty Free Autumn Cup Handicap. When he won a mile and a quarter, soft-ground handicap on his return at Chester in June, I thought he was going to be one who will progress right through the ranks this season given the style of that success.
He won decisively from Grey Cuban who won next time and has since developed into a smart performer, but Castle Cove has just looked a slow learner in two starts since, probably not ideally suited by the track at Goodwood next time, and still looking rough around the edges at Sandown last time.
Castle Cove got into a nice rhythm in the early stages, travelling well towards the rear, before being shaken up on the home turn. He did move into contention nicely soon afterwards, but just appeared to lack the tactical speed of the principals in the closing stages.
I did think he stayed on well enough to the line under just a hands-and-heels ride to suggest he’s a horse who should have even more to offer, particularly when faced with a greater test of stamina.
Castle Cove gets that now and the way he shapes, aligned with his pedigree – by Camelot out of a smart mare who stayed a mile and a half – he seems sure to relish this step up of three furlongs in trip.
A galloping track like Newbury with some cut in the ground should also be in his favour and the experience of his last two starts in top-end handicaps shouldn’t have been lost on him. He’s also entered in the mile and a quarter handicap on the same card, but Tom Marquand has been jocked up for this race, and you would have to imagine connections are now ready to explore this different avenue.
The aforementioned Dubai Duty Free Handicap is another open race and I’m rolling the dice again with the Karl Burke-trained ALMOSH’HER, who was selected in this space for the Ebor at York last month.
He was strong in the betting ahead of that race, but he was just far too fresh to get home over the mile and three quarter trip. That was a concern I had stated, given his free-going nature, and it duly came to fruition, even a gelding operation not working the oracle for that staying trip.
However, the form of his win over a mile and a half at York earlier in the season is proving excellent form, with Stressfree, Plague de Havre and The Reverand all franking it in no uncertain terms since.
If you watch that race back, Almosh’her was typically a little keen in the early stages, but he breezed into contention on entering the straight and would have won that day even if it was over a mile and a quarter. Therefore, I think this drop in trip could actually be the making of him, especially as he often finds plenty as well.
You would expect him to be ridden in a prominent position once more and if he gets into that sort of rhythm he’ll prove a hard horse to pass from a mark of 98 which is surely still quite a lenient one, while he’s a big horse who will likely be suited by some ease in the ground.
The Ayr Gold Cup is the big betting race of this weekend, but it is a race that I prefer to get involved in closer to the time. Over 200 entries and two consolation races making it a tricky conundrum to solve at this stage of the week.
However, there is one horse who I’m interested in at Ayr on Saturday and that is unexposed three-year-old DAMYSUS in the Ladbrokes ‘Big Football Bet Builder Boosts’ Doonside Cup Stakes.
I actually backed this horse in both the Dante and the Derby this season and I thought he looked a horse of big potential when runner-up to Pride of Arras at York. He made his challenge on the opposite side to the winner that day, but impressed with how he moved into contention, while still looking raw all the same.
Things didn’t pan out for him in the Derby itself – he reportedly suffered cuts to his legs when kicking out in the stalls – shaping like a horse who found that sort of test coming too soon in his development.
Connections wisely eased off him after Epsom and it paid dividends when he bounced back to winning ways in a Listed event at Deauville last month which the yard won with Ombudsman last year.
It was a smooth success, too, displaying an immediate turn of foot when pulled out over a furlong out and running on strong and true to the line. That should have done his confidence the world of good and he remains totally unexposed. Damysus has a couple of entries on Arc weekend – including in the Arc itself – but the Gosdens may be mindful of getting some more experience into him prior to that and he would be a rare runner for the yard at Ayr.
Indeed, since taking out a joint training license, John & Thady have had just two runners at Ayr, but if he makes the long trip to Scotland he’ll undoubtedly be a strong favourite for this. Likely softer ground will also suit him well and he’s a horse I want to keep firmly on side.
Preview posted at 1600 BST on 16/09/2025
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