Our form expert had a 2pt winner with Blue Bolt on Friday and he has four selections for Super Saturday with bets at Ascot, Newmarket and York.
The Verdict: Saturday July 11
1pt win Schrodinger’s Cat in the 13:55 Ascot at 16/1 (BetVictor, Boylesports)
1pt win Machadadorp in the 14:15 Newmarket at 9/2 (General)
1pt win Tales Of Wisdom in the 14:52 Newmarket at 14/1 (William Hill)
1pt e.w Iron Fist in the 15:45 York at 28/1 (Paddy Power 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6, 25/1 Sky Bet)
Clench the Fist in John Smith’s Cup
With 12 races on ITV and 138 horses due to run Super Saturday certainly delivers when it comes to quantity and the quality is there, as well.
The Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai July Cup Stakes looks very competitive and I struggled to find an angle, especially when Satono Reve’s price was squeezed into 7/2, and with plenty of battles to pick from this is one I’m happy to watch.
It’s the same with the Bunbury Cup as the market has cornered on all the right horses here including Aalto, with his great record in the race, and Back In Black, who looks likely to improve again dropped back in trip to seven furlongs.
There is one ‘Cup’ I want to have a bet in though and it’s of the John Smith’s variety at York where a maximum field of 22 line-up for what is always a great puzzle to try and solve.
The horses who are well in, including Warrant Holder, Castle Stuart, Raamee and Will Scarlet, have to be on the shortlist, but much will depend on who copes with an extreme gallop over the extended 10 furlongs the best here.
And with that firmly in mind, Irish raider IRON FIST makes plenty of appeal at 25/1.
It’s very rare for an Irish trainer to target this race, but you can see why Jessie Harrington has pointed the four-year-old son of New Bay here as it looks the perfect contest for him.
He is bred for 10 furlongs, maybe even a mile and a half, and he has improved since stepping up to this sort of distance, running really well on his last two starts at Cork and the Curragh.
What was noticeable on both occasions was how well he finished off moderate gallops and I’m not surprised he’s been thrown into a race where they should go like the clappers as that promises to really suit.
Timeform described the Curragh ground as Good to Firm last time so we know he handles conditions and a BHA mark of 95 does not look beyond him considering he’s been running so well off ratings in the low 90s in Ireland.
We’ve seen how dominant the Irish can be when they come over for the Ebor (winning the last three renewals) and this contender looks worth backing at prices north of 20/1 even after the 33s was quickly swiped away on Friday afternoon.
The Verdict: Back IRON FIST in the 15:45 York
Pearl of Wisdom at Newmarket
Over at Newmarket Charlie Appleby has unsurprisingly bounced back this week and his TALES OF WISDOM is well worth a bet in the Weatherbys Handicap for three-year-olds over a mile.
Appleby has an excellent record in this type of race, his record in three-year-old-only mile handicaps on the July Course an excellent seven from 20 at 35% and those victories include two top-weight winners of this race.
As for Tales Of Wisdom, the form of his Rowley Mile novice win in May looks good and this is much easier than the assignment he was handed for his handicap debut in the Britannia Stakes last time.
Drawn amongst the disadvantaged far-side group it was clear he had no chance from halfway and William Buick did the right thing by looking after him, meaning he hardly had a race never mind a hard one.
That’ll be why he turns up here 23 days later to take on the Britannia winner, Moonfall, who is up 7lb, and Tales Of Wisdom can prove a strict reading of that form all wrong.
Certainly, at 14/1, he looks underestimated.
The Verdict: Back TALES OF WISDOM in the 14:52 Newmarket
Back Mach to attack under Murphy
Also on the July Cup undercard Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy can team up with MACHADADORP in the HKJC Worldpool Fillies’ Handicap over seven furlongs.
Balding is excellent at bringing through novice winners in this type of race and Machadadorp might well have a bit up her sleeve on handicap debut against a field of largely more exposed runners.
The daughter of Mehmas looked promising when winning at Chester on her second start but she took her form to a new level at Wetherby last time, defying a penalty in gutsy fashion as she saw off the challenge of Rogue Invincible, the pair over seven lengths clear of the rest.
Rogue Invincible has boosted the form by winning at Wolverhampton subsequently and that suggests Machadadorp has been let in lightly off a rating of 86.
Indeed, her dam was talented, rated 101 after just four starts, and this filly could prove herself of similar ability sooner rather than later considering her current progression.
The Verdict: Back MACHADADORP in the 14:15 Newmarket
Schrodinger’s Cat a reality for punters at 14/1
Finally, Grant Tuer’s SCHRODINGER’S CAT could burn off his rivals in the opening Club 26 Heritage Handicap over five furlongs at Ascot.
The three-year-olds get 5lb on the weight-for-age scale in this race and that has proved handy in recent years, that age group winning twice in the last five renewals thanks to Significantly and The Big Board while Bond Chairman was a nose second four years ago, too.
Tuer has won a couple of sprint handicaps with three-year-olds against their elders in recent seasons at big prices thanks to Je Ne Sais Quoi (16/1) and Al Hussar (14/1) and this looks a good spot for his thriving son of Ardad.
He has looked rapid at Redcar and York in recent starts, putting in an excellent effort when just edged out by the also-thriving Naana’s Shadow on the Knavesmire last time, and he looks the type to put his brazen speed to good use against his elders.
Tuer is flying, with six winners from his last 15 runners at 40% in the last fortnight, and Schrodinger’s Cat could land him another prize from what looks a good towards-the-stands’-rail draw in 13.
The Verdict: Back SCHRODINGER’S CAT in the 13:55 Ascot
Preview posted at 16:00 BST on 10/07/26
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