Timeform UK SmartPlays / Simon Baker / 13 August 2011 /

Three bets for Saturday from Timeform's Free Form Site...

The Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury (15:05) is potentially more interesting than most recent renewals of the race on a account of a handful of St Leger-bound three-year-olds showing up to take their chance against the older horses. The likes of Brown Panther and Census are both afforded plenty of respect, but the fact is that they're going to have to improve to overhaul some of the older horses, the pick of whom is the filly Meeznah. Meeznah rather lost her way after finishing second past the post in last year's Oaks, but she's got right back on track recently and her win in the Lillie Langtry at Glorious Goodwood at the end of last month marked her down as a potentially high-class performer. The form of that race looks strong, backed up by a good timefigure, and suggests Meeznah is well up to coming out on top against the males today. At around the [6.0] mark it's well worth siding with her form in the book against the potential of some of the three-year-olds.

Korngold looked a typical John Dunlop handicap project after three spins in maidens towards the end of last season, but it took him the same number of runs this time round for him to prove himself ahead of his mark, the combination of softish ground and a mile and a half proving right up his street at Chepstow last month. That race perhaps wasn't much of a contest against an exposed bunch of older horses and Korngold undoubtedly faces a stiffer task against his own generation at Ripon today (15:45), but there's every reason to believe a 6 lb rise for his win is lenient, particularly judged on how smoothly he went through the race. Anything around the [2.7] mark looks worth taking today.

The John Quinn-trained Veiled Applause has been around for a long time now, and throughout his career he's done all his winning over a mile and a mile and a quarter. Almost every time he's been tried over a mile and a half he's shaped like a non-stayer, including at Doncaster on his most recent start. The encouraging thing about that run was how well Veiled Applause travelled before his stamina gave way, and he stands out back over a mile and a quarter at the same track today (18:00). The case for Veiled Applause from a handicapping point of view is obvious. He came back this year with two good placed efforts in handicaps over today's course and distance, off marks of 82 and 83. Since then he has been mostly running over the wrong trip, and his mark has come down to 71 as a result. This is a well-handicapped, in-form horse with conditions to suit, and he looks a standout bet at around [4.4].

Recommendations

Back Meeznah @ [5.8] Newbury 15:05
Back Korngold @ [2.68] Ripon 17:45
Back Veiled Applause @ [4.4] Doncaster 18:00

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