Newmarket July Festival Bets: Day Two at HQ

Events / Graham Cunningham / 08 July 2009 / 1

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Falmouth Stakes winner Goldikova stole the headlines in the clash of the milers on day one of the July Meeting at Newmarket, but day two sees the sprinters and the middle distance horses take centre stage in the July Stakes and the Princess of Wales's Stakes. Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham will be watching from the sofa in the hope of snaring a winner or two.

The good news on day two of the July Meeting is that the standard of racing remains uniformly high.

The bad news is that finding winners will be very tough. I've done the card in detail without finding anything I am mad keen on, but let's give it a crack and hope for a value angle or two.

1.30

Sights have had to be lowered appreciably for Kite Wood, but it's too early to be giving up on him as a contender for good races.

Granted, he wasn't good enough in the Dante or the Derby, but he was far from discredited on both occasions and this plainly represents a steep drop in class.

Free Agent ran well at Royal Ascot, as did Popmurphy, but Kite Wood's best form gives him a clear edge and this looks a solid springboard for the second half of his season.

2.00

Arcano, Orpen Grey and Reignier look the trio to focus on here and splitting them is tough.

Tom Dascombe landed this 12 months ago with Classic Blade and the Proclaimers singer lookalike returns with another strong chance courtesy of runaway Salisbury winner Orpen Grey.

Arcano made a fine start to his career by landing a hot maiden at Newbury, while Reignier ran a corker for second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and looks to have the edge over Tawaabb on that form.

In summary, I'm tentative. However, Orpen Grey looked more than ready for a step up to pattern company at Salisbury and he gets a narrow vote over the unexposed Arcano.

3.10

A solid Group Two and, given the presence of several natural front runners, it should be run at a decent gallop from an early stage.

All The Aces looks bound to be up there from the off and is on top of his game after a commanding course win, while Schiaparelli often goes off strong and fellow Godolphin runner Campanologist also races on the pace.

Doctor Fremantle is hard to pin down accurately following his Ascot disappointment, but Duncan and Enroller look a fair duo to take against the field under these conditions.

Duncan is a typically progressive late maturing Dalakhani colt and his fine fourth behind Ask in the Coronation Cup at Epsom is just about the best piece of form on offer here. He's sure to go well, but I will also be taking a flyer at long odds with Enroller. William Muir's four-year-old has been an underrated horse for some time now.

Granted, he's held by Campanologist on Ascot form, but conditions were much too slick for him there and the way he travelled en route to a career best effort at Newbury on his reappearance this spring marks him out as one of the most appealing longshots on the entire Thursday card.

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Stu | 09 July 2009

Hard to get an angle today. I took the 4s on offer first thing for Class is Class in the 2.35. The Yarmouth form is working out so well and the 2nd went close off 91 in the Britannia, so 89 has to be a good mark.

Duncan has the best form on offer in the Princess of Wales, but 9/4 looks a little skinny for me. Schiaperelli is the only gp1 winner in the field and 12s looks too big for me. I also have a feeling that Doctor Fremantle is due a big run. You have to forgive the Hardwicke run, but before that his gp3 wins read well - as does his effort behind Montmatre in a gp1. 8/1 again looks too big.