Saturday Racing Tips: Tony Calvin is persuaded to back two more at Newmarket

Buckle up for one of the most congested, high-profile afternoons in the racing calendar - in the face of stiff competition - as ITV fire 11 races at their viewers.

I have already discussed the John Smith's Cup at 16:05 at length in an ante-post column earlier in the week,.

I put up three bets on Tuesday, thankfully all of whom have made the final cut, and the argument for all three obviously stands.

First View looks strongest of antepost picks

I won't re-state the case for them here, especially as the prices of Intellogent and Jewel In My Crown have been trimmed a touch - they were put up at 11s and 40s respectively - but I remain keen on all three as they come here as officially well-in horses in premier form.

And Jewel In My Crown and First View arrive on the back of career-best efforts, while Intellogent's Hunt Cup second is probably not far off his French Derby fourth in 2018.

If I was to have another stab it would probably be First View's stablemate Brilliant Light, who ran well in the Duke Of Edinburgh over 1m4f at Royal Ascot and is fully capable over this shorter trip, but I am not being greedy and going in again.

If pushed for the strongest of my three ante-post fancies at the current Exchange prices I would probably side with First View, as the distaff side of his pedigree (his dam is related to the stable's Gold Cup third Wareed) suggests he could relish this extra 2f after winning over a mile at Leicester.

Happy to back Garden Oasis at York

The first race on ITV's packed schedule is the 7f192y handicap at 13:45 and Garden Oasis is the interesting one here from a handicapping perspective.

He has hardly been ripping it this season, including at Carlisle, but at least he has come down 8lb in the weights as a result and he ran his best race over this course and distance in May when beaten under five lengths in a 20-runner handicap.

The in-running comment says he was consistently short of room in the closing stages there, but he wasn't really. He experienced minor inconvenience but he just didn't have the pace to take advantage of the gap when it appeared 1f out.

However, he has dropped to a mark of just 82, and the last time he raced off that level he won at Ripon last season, and followed up next time off 3lb higher.

A lot of his best performances have come when he has got on the front end or been ridden aggressively, so hopefully those tactics will be re-adopted here, though David Allan may have to be content with sitting handy and taking a lead with forward-goers Isla Kai and Challet in the line-up.

I was rather taken aback when he was put in as the 40/1 outsider by the Sportsbook at midday on Thursday afternoon, and that predictably lasted a matter of minutes. However, I am more than happy to back him at 28/1 win-only with the Sportsbook.

Any 16s+ would suit me fine, in truth.

The more money you throw at non-handicaps, the smaller the field you get it appears, and just three are rocking up for the 80k 1m5f18yd Group 3 at 14:20.

I am surprised ITV and the course have not rejigged the running order, especially as John Smiths are sponsoring the whole card, so there are no considerations on that front.

Thunderous is probably the most solid proposition of the trio but I won't be having a bet, and nor will I be on the Listed 5f sprint at 16:40.

Last year's winner Winter Power's underwhelming two performances this season will make connections of the others hopeful of turning her over.

However, she will win if rocking up in the same form as any of her three course wins last summer most obviously the Nunthorpe - the formbook and the clock tells us that - and I personally wouldn't be in a rush to lay her at around 2/1 (one firm went 5/2 about her on Thursday afternoon).

I can see the case for the likes of Korker, so impressive here earlier in the season - proven course form is very important at York - and who did remarkably well to be beaten just 3 ½ lengths at Ascot last time considering he lost twice that ground coming out of the stalls, but it's a race I am happy to leave alone.

Give Stone of Destiny another shot at Ascot

We have two races at Ascot. The seven-runner 140k Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes at 15:35 is easily passed over and the 20-runner 5f handicap at 15:00 is probably one for the overly-brave or foolhardy, too.

Mark me down for both, with a touch of ridicule thrown in for good measure, as I am going to give Stone Of Destiny another shout.

His 13th of 14 in first-time blinkers at Newcastle last time was a complete blow-out but I am inclined to ignore it, as he got no cover, and maybe he resented the headgear too, as it is left off here.

Either way, the handicapper dropped him another 3lb for it, and he can run here off a mark of just 87 (he was rated 106 this time last year after being beaten just four lengths in the King's Stand) on a track on which he has posted some of his better efforts.

Just two starts ago he finished a fair sixth in the Dash at Epsom, and his earlier efforts this year were not devoid of promise either, and David Probert will be able to bury him away in here from stall 11 and I am very much inclined to give him another chance at his price.

Back him at 20/1 each-way, five places, with the Sportsbook.

Barron aims for Bunbury glory again

Newmarket takes centre stage with five races, including the July Cup, and I will take it in chronological order, starting with the eight-runner fillies' 7f handicap at 14:05.

Actually that won't take me too long as I thought it was a nasty little handicap. I'll pass, and the same applies to another precarious dead-eight scenario in the 1m handicap at 14:40.

And it won't surprise regular readers to discover that the five-runner 7f Group 2 Superlative Stakes at 15:15 containing five juveniles, none of whom have raced more than twice, is not a betting contest for me either.

The Sportsbook were being very generous in their opening shows on Thursday as they stuck up 50/1 about Persuasion in the Bunbury Cup at 15:50, and good luck to anyone who managed to snaffle that price, though it was not an out-of-line price with 40s the generally available odds at the time.

He remains a bet at 33/1 with the Sportsbook, and I am playing win-only, even with five places on offer for each-way punters.

Owner Laurence O'Kane likes to snaffle a big handicap, and I just wonder if Persuasion has been laid out for this valuable pot he won with Above The Rest (also trained by David Barron) in 2017.

Barron has got him here on a good mark if so, some 2lb lower than when winning a strong handicap from subsequent winner Dulas at Haydock for Charlie Hills in April 2021 - it would have been 3lb but he is running off his old mark here - and his three runs this season have seen him progress each time.

He was a decent third off this mark under a 5lb claimer at Redcar last time - the winner bolted up on the far side - and hopefully I am correct in sensing a long-term plan for a very shrewd trainer-owner combo.

Pretty keen on Romantic Proposal

Artorius was 10/1 for the July Cup on the Monday after Royal Ascot, but he is 7/2 on the fixed-odds front and I can't help feeling that is his correct price and nothing more now.

I think he was unlucky not to win the Platinum Jubilee, meeting trouble at a crucial time, and I would favour him over market-leader Perfect Power at 9/4, but if you lay the front two combined you do have plenty running you.

Indeed, the Godolphin pair of Creative Force and Naval Crown are officially the top two rated in here.

However, I am throwing a few quid on Romantic Proposal.

This is the first time she has raced over 6f since gagging up at the Curragh last season and I think her high cruising speed and natural 5f pace makes her a perfect fit for this challenge, and I loved the way she beat Geocentric and Mooneista on her comeback in April.

That may have been a Listed race in name but it was better than that in reality and remember this mare beat a subsequent Group 1 winner in A Case Of You in the Flying Five at the Curragh last season.

Her absence since April is a concern, and she had to miss Ascot due to an unsatisfactory scope, but hopefully Eddie Lynam (who won this race with Slade Power in 2013) has caught up timewise with her.

Chris Hayes should be able to track the pace, wherever it appears, from his midfield draw, and I am pretty keen on her chances.

Admittedly, this will be the fastest ground she will have raced on, but at least Newmarket have not been fighting shy with the watering this week.

The opening 20s has gone, as did the following 16s, but the 12s each-way, four places, remains acceptable. That is the lowest I would be willing to go, though.

Good luck.