Today's Racing Tips: Fifty can prove too Nifty for Newmarket rivals

Newbury, 17:58 - Back Scutari @ 9/25.50

4 (2)

Scutari

• J: Clifford Lee
• T: K. R. Burke
• F: 6266-1

• SBK 5/1
• EXC 6.6

The final thoroughbred race (there is an Arabian after) on Newbury's Friday card is a fascinating 7f handicap and George Boughey's Zatsgood looks sure to popular on the back of his really good runner-up finish to Victory Ace (who has gone in again since) at Newcastle last time.

That form is clearly strong and Boughey has his string in fine form, so there seems little to knock him on, though I do find it a tad disconcerting that he's now fitted with first-time cheekpieces following such a good effort.

The one I like in the race has yet to run in Britain but had some decent form in France and makes his debut for the Karl Burke team.

It took a few starts for Scutari to get off the mark, but when he did so back in January it came at the expense of a subsequent winner who went on to be tried at listed level a few times afterwards. Scutari has a fine Juddmonte pedigree and could well prove to be a shrewd purchase for current connections having been picked up for 62,000 guineas.

The selection does have fitness to prove after 218 days away from the track, but that's rarely a concern for runners from this yard and it looks significant that Burke is prepared to send him all the way to Newbury for his stable bow.

Notable winners from Mark in recent weeks

Pure Passion @ 9/2
Galen @ 4/1
Edward Sexton @ 7/2
Free World @ 3/1
Archers Bay @ 3/1
Influencer Man @ 11/4
Quest For Stars @ 5/2

Newmarket, 19:02 - Back Fifty Nifty @ 3/14.00

1 (2)

Fifty Nifty (Ire)

• J: Callum Shepherd
• T: Martin Dunne
• F: 654-78501

• SBK 3/1
• EXC 3.8

Trainer Martin Dunne may not be a household name, but he does pretty well with limited resources and can often get a tune out of horses that appear to have gone off the boil for other yards, more notably on the all-weather during the winter rather than in the height of summer.

However, he can still train turf winners and one he appears to have sweetened up recently is Fifty Nifty, who has dropped a long way in the weights and seems very much on the way back after a spell in the doldrums with several different trainers.

Rated as high as 95 at his peak, the five-year-old had stints with both Mick Appleby and Chelsea Banham after leaving the Tom Clover stable last season without cutting much ice, but it hasn't taken Dunne long to seemingly find the key to him.

He's made just three starts for the Dunne team and quickly put an unlucky run behind him to land a handicap over this C&D last week from a mark of just 72.

That clearly leaves him with plenty of handicapping scope under a 5lb penalty and, if anything, this race looks slightly weaker than that one.

Thirsk, 19:50 - Back Style Of Life E/W @ 10/111.00

2 (5)

Style Of Life (Ire)

• J: P. J. McDonald
• T: Harriet Bethell
• F: 87/61125-0

• SBK 10/1
• EXC 9

This 1m handicap has an open look to it and there could be some each-way value in chancing Style Of Life to return to form at 10/111.00.

Harriet Bethell's mare had a fine time of things last season, winning twice at Chester and Pontefract before being denied by only a length in her hat-trick attempt at the latter track.

We only saw her once more after that in 2025 and she clearly hasn't been the easiest to train since having made only one appearance so far this season too, finishing down the field at York in May.

Clearly plenty has to be taken on trust given she's missed another 91 days, but Style Of Life has gone well fresh in the past and could well give a bold showing if back to the sort of form she was capable of last summer.

Now read more horse racing columns here