Newmarket July Festival / Alex Steedman / 06 July 2010 /

Racing UK's Alex Steedman hit seven winners from 15 tips during his Royal Ascot tipping stint - can he find more on day one of Newmarket's July Festival?

Whether you believe in the fates or are conversant with your very own Racing God, there is a divine symmetry to this afternoon's Falmouth Stakes. Come 15:10, I imagine even Tom Queally will offer up a wry glance to the skies.

On Monday, Christophe Lemaire became the second intended jockey for Special Duty to suffer a leg fracture and so his special duties pass on to Queally; the very man for whom the French filly must represent some sort of personal horror. The truth is that the young jockey lost his composure in the white heat of the moment on 1,000 Guineas day and defeat was largely his fault. But will this unexpected opportunity afford Queally closure or does it arrive with psychological baggage?

There's no doubt that fortune - and the rule book - have favoured Special Duty this season with a French Classic garnered in the same manner as her first. Still, she has that searing burst of sustained acceleration and her Newmarket form, albeit on the Rowley Mile, reads two out of two. I think she's even better on fast ground as she hinted at in last year's Chevely Park and she is bidding to make it a family double after Goldikova's win last year.

'Goldie' was the first older horse to land this since Soviet Song, so it takes a talent to Give away the weight and 3yr olds have taken three of the last four. I thought Lillie Langtry took an age to wind up in the Coronation and I prefer another Royal Ascot winner, the improving Rainfall.

Call it redemption, divine intervention or simply sleeping with the enemy; sporting stories seldom get better than this. Either Queally has read the script or those Gods are indeed a very cruel lot.

Elsewhere, there is a glut of upwardly mobile young talent on show today and Space War is near the top of my list at 17:30. He looked promising on debut at Lingfield where he was third to Saturday's Sandown handicap winner Kakatos and confirmed that impression when making all over course and distance last month. The handicapper has given him a few more pounds than Kakatos got away with but the course form got a boost the other day and in receipt of 10lbs from Thabit he looks dangerous. I wouldn't put you off 'dutching' the pair.

Almost every man and his pal will want to be on Kingsgate Choice in the 14:00 and while he is potentially a very serious horse, so is his price. That opens the market up and I'm willing to throw a few quid at Excellent Guest. He still only has a Yarmouth Maiden to his name but was unlucky not to win at Haydock before hitting the front too soon at HQ in late May. I can see him delivered later in this big field and if he can improve like his year older half brother Imperial Guest then he'll shape up nicely.

Recommended Bets:
14:00 - Excellent Guest, 1pt win and place (0-10pts)
15:10 - Special Duty, 2pts win
17:30 - Space War, 3pts win

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