ITV Races

Friday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's three best bets include 11/1 shot

Friday ITV Racing Tips: Mark Milligan's three best bets include 11/1 shot
mark has three bets at HQ

Mark Milligan has taken a look at day two of Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting on ITV and has three selections...

  • Saeed bin Suroor filly to make most of drop in class

  • Memory looks the value against Godolphin filly

  • Moon Target to get back on track in Rockfel


13:15 Newmarket - Back Elwateen @ 7/24.50

There's an intriguing renewal of the Group 2 Joel Stakes later on Newmarket's card featuring a clash between two highly promising colts, Opera Ballo and Zeus Olympios. That's not a betting race for me but there are a trio of fillies earlier in the card that I'm keen to keep on side, starting with Saeed bin Suroor's Elwateen in the opening 1m listed race.

A well-made daughter of Dubawi who won her sole start as a juvenile, she was pitched straight into the deep end on her comeback, belying her inexperience to finishing a fine fourth to Desert Flower in the 1000 Guineas. She then failed to stay in the Oaks and shouldn't be judged too harshly on her most recent start when down the field in the Falmouth having got rather geed up beforehand.

She's had a nice break since then and the marked drop in class here can see her get her career back on track, while she retains plenty of potential to make her mark at a higher level going forward.

I'm really keen on Elwateen in this spot and 7/24.50 looks a fair price with Billy Loughnane in the saddle for the first time.


It's day one of the Ryder Cup and we have bets for all the Friday foursomes from top golf tipster Dave Tindall - read them here!


13:50 Newmarket - Back Favorite Memory E/W @ 9/110.00

The following contest is a fillies' 1m 4f Group 3 contest and Charlie Appleby's Spirited Style looks sure to be popular as she bids to get back on the up following a poor run in the German Oaks last time. Things had been all positive up to that point, with the daughter of Sea The Stars winning a maiden at Haydock before taking a listed race on the July course.

She's the one to beat but doesn't have that much in hand of the field on Timeform ratings and Favorite Memory appeals as a value alternative.

Ralph Beckett's filly broke her maiden at Doncaster in June before finishing down the field in the same listed race won by Spirited Style, but she was clearly amiss that day and trailed in almost 50 lengths behind.

She's much better judged on her win in a Salisbury handicap last time and, while she'll require a step up on that form, she's lightly raced enough to think that there may be more improvement to come and an each-way play at 9/110.00 looks worth chancing.


14:25 Newmarket - Back Moon Target E/W @ 11/112.00

One of the highlights of Friday's card is the 7f Group 2 Rockfel Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the betting revolves around Touleen and Zanthos at the head of the market. The former is unbeaten in two starts and Owen Burrows' charge now faces the acid test having been inpressive in winning a maiden and novice to date.

That novice win came at the expense of Zanthos and it's difficult to see how that one can reverse the form, though it's probably worth noting she was a little keener than ideal that day.

The pair are taking out a good chunk of the market and I suspect one who brings solid Group form to the table has been overlooked somewhat.

Sir Mark Prescott's Moon Target won both her first two starts and then lost little in defeat when second to subsequent Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner precise in the Group 3 Prestige at Goodwood last month.

The selection's most recent start when down the field in the May Hill at Doncaster is probably best forgiven having got no cover from
a stiff headwind, and she sets a solid standard for the rest of these to aim at on that Goodwood form.

A length filly who's got every chance to progress as she matures, I can't let Moon Target go unbacked at what looks a generous 11/112.00.


Now read Sam Turner's latest racing tips here.


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Mark Milligan avatar

Mark Milligan

Mark Milligan is a Senior Horse Racing Analyst with Timeform Sporting Life and has been contributing to Betting.Betfair since 2021.

Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.