Saturday racing blog: Replay our blog as James Garfield won the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury

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Racing Blog Replay

1650: That's the feature action done and dusted for the afternoon and, with the football results dropping in, that's our signal to call it a day.

If you've been out shopping or washing your car or something equally horrendous, worry not, you can catch up on all of today's action via our free video replay service which you can find at the bottom of each result here.

My advice would be to watch Emaraaty, James Garfield, Brorocco, Take Cover, Star Rock, Who Dares Wins and Magic Lily. Definitely Magic Lily. They were the stars of the day.

Thanks for following our coverage, we'll be back next Saturday for Cambridgeshire day if not before. Until then...

1642: Daphne wins the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Handicap for Ryan Moore and William Haggas as they see off the late challenge of Weekender. The latter, a well-backed 13/8 favourite for John Gosden, looked to be coming there with a winning run on the outside but he couldn't go past the Haggas filly, owned by the Queen, who was running today off a 367-day break. Good training performance, you have to say, from the shrewd Newmarket handler.

RESULT 4.35 Newbury

1st Daphne 8/1
2nd Weekender 13/8f
3rd Withhold 8/1

1632: No jackpot winner of the Sporting Life Pick 7 today. It was a tough gig, but you get another go next week. When it's the Cambridgeshire.

1615: Some ante-post betting news now and Brorocco has been smashed up in the Cambridgeshire market ahead of next Saturday's superb nine-furlong cavalry charge at Newmarket.

Number 66 in the list this morning, his 4lb penalty takes him up to number 45 so he has a chance of sneaking in at the bottom of the weights. I'm not sure a straight track will be his thing, but he'll love the hell-for-leather gallop and you can see him travelling into things nicely.

Sky Bet go 14/1 from 33s about the Andrew Balding-trained horse and he's being backed throughout the industry as well.

Click here for Sky Bet's full Cambridgeshire betting.

1608: Take a bow David Griffiths, take a bow Take Cover. David Allan, well, you had the easy job! Just point and go with this lightning quick 10-year-old and he does the rest. Fantastic to still see him burn off a quality field of sprinters at his age. Cotai Glory runs well in second and nothing travelled sweeter than Muthmir in third. He could land a monster if he gets the breaks.

RESULT 4.00 Newbury

1st Take Cover 8/1
2nd Cotai Glory 9/2f
3rd Muthmir 5/1

1558: Really good sprint coming up at Newbury in the shape of the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes and Sky Bet are paying FIVE places on each-way bets.

Muthmir and Cotai Glory your market leaders...

1550: Magic Lily looks good, very good. She simply outclasses her opposition at Newmarket and it's no surprise Sky Bet introduce her at 20/1 for next year's Investec Oaks at Epsom.

By a Derby winner, New Approach, out of an Oaks winner, Dancing Rain, Magic Lily is bred for the job and she couldn't have made a more impressive debut.

RESULT 3.45 Newmarket

1st Magic Lily 5/2j
2nd Mystic Meg 5/2j
3rd Heather Lark 14/1

1534: Brorocco comes from the clouds to win the feature handicap at Newbury, travelling sweetly in the rear off a good gallop and that's what he loves, swooping late for Andrew Balding, appropriately, today, in the Mill Reef colours.

Fidaawy runs well in second, as does Ben Linfoot's Value Bet tips Anythingtoday in third. Neither had excuses, though, and today was Brorocco's day.

RESULT 3.25 Newbury

1st Brorocco 8/1j
2nd Fidaawy 8/1j
3rd Anythingtoday 17/2
4th Silver Ghost 8/1j

1523: It was worth the wait for Alan King who lands the Ces Trial forecast with Who Dares Wins seeing off stablemate Couer De Lion in a Barbury Castle tussle. Who Dares Wins was always holding his pal and you'd think he goes for the main event now. Shrewd finished third with Oriental Fox running well in fourth from a big weight.

Sky Bet go 10/1 from 16s about the winner for the Ces.

RESULT 3.15 Newmarket

1st Who Dares Wins 7/1
2nd Coeur de Lion 9/2f
3rd Shrewd 9/1
4th Oriental Fox 16/1

1514: Predictably, they're off late for the Ces Trial. Lots of horses to load. But, come on folks, it'll be dark soon.

1506: Cesarewitch Trial next at Newmarket and Alan King holds the strongest of hands here, as he trains the first two in the betting...

Don't forget Sky Bet are paying FIVE places each-way in this race.

1459: James Garfield purrs under Frankie Dettori to win the Mill Reef for George Scott in the yellow colours of Bill and Tim Gredley. That's a 2YO track record over six furlongs at Newbury. He drops back in trip successfully after just being touched off over seven by Wells Farrh Go in the Acomb at York and he finishes his race well here to land the Group Two prize.

Sky Bet go 25s from 33s the winner for next year's 2000 Guineas.

Click here for the full Guineas betting.

RESULT 2.50 Newbury

1st James Garfield 10/3
2nd Invincible Army 5/2f
3rd Nebo 15/2

1447: Mill Reef Stakes next. Ribchester and Harry Angel have won this race the last two years, will we see another superstar today? Here are the top three in the betting:

1442: She's done really well to win that as easily as she did. Star Rock pulls hard early, perhaps a bit fresh after the absence, but is just too well-handicapped for these fillies.

RESULT 2.35 Newmarket

1st Star Rock 5/2f
2nd Cribbs Causeway 7/1
3rd Lady Bergamot 4/1

1433: Star Rock your 11/4 favourite for the next at Newmarket. She's been off 126 days but you can watch her maiden success at this track in May by clicking the arrow below. This is her handicap debut.

1422: Coral-Eclipse third and King George sixth Desert Encounter takes advantage of a drop in class to land the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes under Sean Levey. He was given plenty to do but travelled ominously well and weaved his way through nicely to hit the front on the far side rail. He didn't do a lot once he got there, but he had enough in the locker to see off Second Step and Secret Number. Architecture, off for 343 days, ran a blinder in fourth. There's a stewards' inquiry but it won't affect the inner.

RESULT 2.15 Newbury

1st Desert Encounter 13/2
2nd Second Step 9/2f
3rd Secret Number 10/1

1412: PICK 7 update: 110,709 of you have played the Pick 7 today and 16,260 still have a chance of scooping the jackpot following The Statesman's win at Newmarket. Desert Encounter a popular choice in leg 2, coming up at Newbury...

1405: The Statesman wins for the second time in four days following on from his victory at Sandown on Wednesday. It was pretty easy for him, too, with Manuel Fernandes seeming to have all bases covered from an early stage. First Nation runs on for second.

RESULT 2.00 Newmarket

1st The Statesman 10/3
2nd First Nation 3/1
3rd Crowned Eagle

1352: Whooooooooooosh. Emaraaty looks a bit of a tool doesn't he? He breaks well, travels like a classy animal up front and is given the briefest shake of the reins to see off Magnificent.

No surprises to see Classic quotes after that and Sky Bet introduce Emaraaty at 20/1 for the 2018 2000 Guineas and cut him to 20/1 from 33/1 for the Epsom Derby.

RESULT 1.45 Newbury

1st Emaraaty 4/9f
2nd Magnificent 7/1
3rd Epic Fantasy 50/1

1341: But this is all about the John Gosden show. He's 4/9 to rack up a treble from the first three races this afternoon with the expensive and highly-touted Emaraaty.

1338: Division Two of the Novice Stakes at Newbury next and an interesting word for Baritone in our Catching Pigeons column.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by Michael Tabor, he is closely related to smart stablemates Stargazer and Stravagante, and is a son the Derby winner Camelot out of Musidora runner up Star Ruby.

1330: Two races gone, two wins for John Gosden. It's his time of year for his juveniles (granted, this would've been a better observation 20 minutes ago) and Stream Song wins on her third start, just getting there, cosily, from the odds-on Sheikha Reika. In fact, that's two straight-forecasts for Gosden-Varian from the first two races.

RESULT 1.25 Newmarket

1st Stream Song 11/2
2nd Sheikha Reika 8/13f
3rd Hadith 5/2

1322: Fennaan improves on his second start for John Gosden and just holds on from the very fast-finishing and well-backed Sam Gold who went off favourite. The winner has stepped forward from his Kempton debut and looked likely to win easily when hitting the front a furlong out, only for Sam Gold to make it a nail-biting finish as the penny dropped with him. Cracking race to start the day.

RESULT 1.15 Newbury:

1st Fennaan 7/1
2nd Sam Gold 7/2f
3rd Alfarqad 9/2

1259: With leaves and conkers on the ground we're getting to that time of year. Yep, we're just five weeks away from the clocks going back and a civilised finishing time for racing scribes up and down the land. It means earlier starting times for the racing, and, while we're a few months away from novice hurdlers strutting their stuff at lunchtime, we do have a 1.15 starting time for this afternoon's fayre. That's the first at Newbury, the Wedgewood Estates EBF Novice Stakes. Plenty of newcomers in this, but the likely favourite is Sam Gold, trained by Roger Varian. You can log-in and watch his last race by pressing the arrow below... simples.

1242: Donjuan Triumphant. He'll love the switch to Haydock, won't he? Well, he won there last time, anyway. I'm thinking on my feet. That's for next week... back to today's action.

1240: So, the Ayr Gold Cup at Haydock next Saturday. Tremendous. I suspect there will be a name change. 32Red will be involved in that, being the new sponsors of the race, and there will be a maximum field of 17 (plus no televised draw nonsense, so, swings and roundabouts).

1235: BREAKING NEWS: The Ayr Gold Cup has been rescheduled to take place at Haydock next Saturday (September 30).

1231: Check out all today's non-runners here. The most significant one is Time To Study in the Ces Trial, Mark Johnston's Mallard winner taken out on account of the ground.

1220: Plenty of activity in the Sky Bet offices this morning with Newbury and Newmarket the centre of attention...

Today's main market movers:

Newbury

1.15 – Sam Gold 7/2 from 9/1
3.25 – Anthingtoday 15/2 from 14/1
4.35 – Galatic Prince 13/2 from 10/1
5.05 – Esprit De Corps 13/2 from 14/1

Newmarket

2.35 – Vuela 6/1 from 8/1
3.10 – Hawkerland 9/1 from 14/1
4.20 – Medieval 8/1 from 14/1

1219: Relive Simple Verse's finest hour:

1208: Good afternoon and welcome to the live Sporting Life racing blog on Ayr Gold Cup afternoon. Well, it should be. What a shame the Western Meeting bit the dust. It will take all connected with the Scottish track some time to get over the blow but we've got to move on and Newbury and Newmarket come to the rescue with two really good cards this afternoon.

We'll bring you all the latest from the racing world this Saturday afternoon and first things first we bring you breaking news that 2015 St Leger heroine Simple Verse has retired. A fantastic filly, she won the Doncaster Classic on the track, lost it in the stewards' room and then won it back again in the courts, before landing the G1 Qipco Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot on her next start.

Champions Day was meant to be her target once again next month, but Ralph Beckett confirmed this morning that her racing career is over.

He said: "It has been decided to retire Simple Verse. She has had various issues since the Gold Cup in June, and put simply we have ran out of time to get her ready for the Long Distance Cup, on Champion’s Day.

"She was a terrific servant to all her connections. The highlight of her career was undoubtedly the 2015 St Leger, but to drop back to 12f and win the Fillies and Mares five weeks later showed how versatile, as well as tough and talented she really was. We will miss her, but look forward to training her progeny."