July Meeting Day Two Tips: Aiming to make a Mullion at Newmarket

Altogether now when looking at the 15:45 at Newmarket on Friday: "Who wants to be with Mullionheir? I do..."

So let's all back John Best's improving sprinter at 12.011/1, and we can hum the tune as we go to collect after the race. Or, rather, refresh to see how much our account balances have swelled.

Well, that's the theory anyway.

The potential negative to his chance - well, apart from 19 rivals - is whether his draw in 19 of 20 proves to be the wrong place to be. But this prominent racer will probably stay on the far side rail and we can only pray that doesn't prove to be disadvantageous, at the very least.

Because, other than that, he has plenty going for him. His winning handicap run started off a mark of just 55 at Chelmsford in April and he is up to 90 now after netting four wins since, his only defeat coming when tried over 7f.

This is his trip, he is clearly suited by decent ground, and I thought he won with a bit to spare in a really good time at Windsor last month. And it was obviously a positive to see the runner-up win well at Kempton on Wednesday night.

It is hard to pin down why he has improved so much of late. But his stable is back among the winners at an excellent strike rate this season after a very barren few years - partly due to a cash injection from a new backer - and the horse himself is apparently a sizeable beast who is only just growing into his frame and fulfilling his potential.

And after he won at Windsor, Kieren Fox said he will be better in a bigger field and with some cover. Here is hoping that Foxy is right.

Three horses dominate the betting in the opener at 14:10 and I am keen to take them all on at the prices. In fact, this is the kind of race where I will probably look to lay the trio and have the field running for me.

But I won't recommend that course of action here and I suggest a bet at Muffri' Ha at odds of 17.016/1 instead.

I'll be honest, she was the worst selection that I made at Royal Ascot, as I tipped her for the Sandringham without clocking the minimum weight was 8st 7lb and she was in fact racing from 4lb out of the handicap. Amateur hour.

I'm never slow to put my hand up when I'm wrong. Mind you, it has taken me six weeks in this instance. So in the circumstances she ran ok when beaten only 7 lengths there, and things didn't go her way at all when hampered at Goodwood previously.

She is effectively 4lb lower than at Ascot and I think the key to her improving here could be the drop back to 7f, and Pat Cosgrave getting her to settle far better than she did at Ascot and Goodwood.

If she does then she may finally show the kind of form that prompted Haggas, that shrewd placer of a horse, to enter her in the Coronation Stakes at one stage.

It appears that the ground was the reason for Integral's disappointment at Royal Ascot, and if she is on top form then she will make a bold bid to follow up last season's win in the Falmouth Stakes at 15:15.

But it isn't hard to compile a list of dangers - headed up by unlucky Coronation Stakes third Lucida and Avenir Certain, who wasn't given at all a hard time when chasing home Fintry last time - and I don't see much of an angle at the prices.

If there is one, I think Arabian Queen is possibly over-priced at 20-1+; she would be my each way play in the race if I was getting involved.

I am not going to play in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at 14:40 either but I can't have the fact that Easton Angel isn't favourite.

Illuminate was very impressive in the Albany but surely that form doesn't rival Easton Angel's effort in chasing home a juvenile freak in Acapulco in the Queen Mary, with 2½ lengths back to Besharah in third.

The step up in trip is not expected to be a problem, and Easton Angel should be clear market-leader in my book.

There is a cracking 6f sprint for fillies and mares at York, and I think Kiyoshi is a fair bet at 9.08/1 to land the prize at 14:55.

It is a ferociously competitive contest and you can make a fair case for 10 of the 14 runners - and Interception is the most respected after her Wokingham win off 102 - but the claims of Kiyoshi are the most convincing at the odds.

Kiyoshi has only occasionally lived up to the huge promise of her Albany win two years ago, and when she gets it right she looks a filly who can easily hold her own in Group 3 company, most notably when beating Bragging over 7f at Doncaster last September.

She ran well on her reappearance over 7f at Lingfield considering she needed it badly after taking a while to get over a hock infection over the winter, and I reckon that it is well worth trying her over this trip for the first time since she finished third in the Cheveley Park, especially with the cheek pieces (not worn at Lingfield) back on.

She wore them for the first time when winning at Doncaster last season, where she travelled really sweetly - apparently she had done a "special" piece of work in them beforehand - and her trainer Charlie Hills reports that he has had a clear run with this filly coming into this race and she worked well on Saturday. She could do these speedsters for a turn of foot close home.

Recommended Bets
Back Muffri' Ha at 17.016/1 in the 14:10 at Newmarket
Back Kiyoshi at 9.08/1 in the 14:55 at York
Back Mullionheir at 12.011/1 in the 15:45 at Newmarket