The Timeform TV Focus team bring you their best value selections for ITV racing on Sunday – and Sporting Life Plus customers can see the selections now.
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TIMEFORM TV FOCUS: EARLY ACCESS
3.35 Newmarket 1 pt – 1 Abashiri
In a huge-field 1000 Guineas, it’s worth taking a chance on the pure potential of Charlie Appleby’s sole representative Abashiri. She’ll need to be something special to win a classic on just the second start of her life, but she looked potentially just that when making a winning debut in a Kempton maiden last November. That effort impressed in just about every respect and gave strong indication that Abashiri can live up to her superb pedigree – she’s by Frankel out of her stable’s Group 1 winner Sobetsu. It’s a vote of confidence that Charlie Appleby is prepared to pitch Abashiri into such exalted company second time out and while her lack of experience will be tough to overcome, the double-figure odds on offer are sufficiently tempting to get involved.
Newmarket
1.45 1 pt – 6 Sacred Ground
The Marcel Boussac fourth Esna is clear on Timeform ratings in the Pretty Polly, but she hails from a yard that’s not sent out a winner since last October and is up against a few in this that have lots of potential. Top of that list is Sacred Ground, a daughter of Kingman out of the yard’s Oaks winner Anapurna. Sacred Ground ran twice at 2 yrs, overcoming inexperience to land a small-field maiden at Yarmouth before showing better form when runner-up in a listed event here right at the very end of the turf season. She traded at odds on in-running that day but ended up being decisively beaten by an unbeaten French-trained filly who raced in the opposite group, Sacred Ground leaving the strong impression the best of her is still to come. The Gosden yard already houses the Oaks favourite I’m The One and, whilst this filly doesn’t have the same potential as that one, she’s probably still got the ability to win at listed level this season.
2.20 1 pt – 4 Chantilly Lace
This is the first double-figure field for the Dahlia since 2011 and, unsurprisingly, it looks wide open. There are plenty of solid contenders but perhaps no absolute form standout and, with that in mind, it could be worth looking a little further down the betting. Chantilly Lace will need to improve more than most to get seriously involved, but there’s a bit in her profile to think she might just do that on her first outing as a 4-y-o. She was highly tried early in 2025 and, in the circumstances, her fifth-placed finishes in the 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes go down as highly encouraging efforts. She didn’t quite build on those in two subsequent outings, but there was nothing wrong with her close third behind the reopposing pair Cheshire Dancer and American Gal in a Group 3 at Ascot in July – when she was perhaps a bit unlucky having raced apart from the other frame finishers – and heavy ground excuses a defeat at Sandown in September. A rangy filly with scope, Chantilly Lace is the type to come back better this year, and lines up here open to more improvement than most after just six lifetime outings, with this slightly longer trip unlikely to do her any harm, either.
2.55 1 pt – 10 Pole Star
Subsequent is very much a staying handicapper to be interested in this season, entries in the Yorkshire Cup and Ascot Gold Cup an indicator of the regard in which he’s held, but it’s a concern that 1¾m on firmish ground at Newmarket mightn’t place enough of an emphasis on stamina for him, especially as he’s a horse who tends to start slowly and come from off the pace. As such, we’d rather give one more chance to Pole Star at the prices. Admittedly, he’s been a little disappointing since notching back-to-back handicap wins at Haydock and Yarmouth last summer, but at the same time he’s faced some toughish tasks and, judged by the way he shaped, was probably short of peak fitness when only fourth on his return at Newbury a few weeks ago. That should have put an edge on him and it’s possible a first-time visor will do likewise, all in all worth chancing given he strength of some of his 3-y-o form.
3.35 1 pt – 1 Abashiri
In a huge-field 1000 Guineas, it’s worth taking a chance on the pure potential of Charlie Appleby’s sole representative Abashiri. She’ll need to be something special to win a classic on just the second start of her life, but she looked potentially just that when making a winning debut in a Kempton maiden last November. That effort impressed in just about every respect and gave strong indication that Abashiri can live up to her superb pedigree – she’s by Frankel out of her stable’s Group 1 winner Sobetsu. It’s a vote of confidence that Charlie Appleby is prepared to pitch Abashiri into such exalted company second time out and while her lack of experience will be tough to overcome, the double-figure odds on offer are sufficiently tempting to get involved.
Salisbury
2.00 No bet advised
This should make for an informative 2-y-o race, with 3 newcomers taking on a trio with experience. It’s straightforward enough to establish a pecking order among those with form, with Ziggy Starshine a worthy favourite judged on her Bath win, but none of the debutantes can be ruled out and this isn’t really a betting race on an afternoon hardly lacking in more appealing opportunities.
Hamilton
2.40 1 pt – 4 Square Necker
An opening BHA mark of 85 looks potentially lenient for Square Necker, especially considering he could easily get the run of things on handicap debut, too. He was swamped for finishing speed by Constitution Hill at Southwell last time out but readily held second that day after forcing a solid gallop and, unsurprisingly, there’s nothing in this field of Constitution Hill’s class. A similarly positive ride here should ensure he’s seen to good effect, especially with a few of his rivals noted for being patiently ridden, and it almost goes without saying that Square Necker is by far the least exposed of this lot.
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