Newbury - 17th Aug / Ante-Post

I always find these two weeks between the Glorious Goodwood and Ebor Festivals quite boring with hardly any decent racing in store and I have spent the last day or so looking ahead to York next week. The Juddmonte on Wednesday looks a below par renewal and although I want to take Al Kazeem on I'm not seeing anything in the field worth bothering with, not Toronado over the trip anyway. The Ebor itself looks a race with a better punting shape as a lot of the horses towards the front of the market look either likely non stayers or badly handicapped. One who has no stamina concerns is the Lady Cecil trained Tiger Cliff who ran really well in the Ascot Stakes in June where his chance was hindered by being ridden too far off a modest pace. He had winning handicap form before that and looks a horse who will ideally be suited to this thorough test. Said win was in an event at Newmarket in April, a race where they went a good clip and I feel that is important when looking at a possible Ebor winner. Initially I liked the look of Sun Central, an impressive course and distance winner last month. But that was an eight runner race run at a moderate gallop and with a big hike in the weights for the winning margin that day he was easily passed over. I prefer my handicappers to win as near the post as possible with something in hand and if we look at Tiger Cliff again at Ascot, the winner got first run on him but he beat the other horses that day in just such a style. I think 12/1 is very fair.

Today I'm not overly keen on anything although I did look at Dank in the Beverley D this evening in Chicago. Trip and ground will suit her but I wanted a bit bigger than 7/2.

Over here Red Cadeaux is a tad overpriced in the Geoffrey Freer. Yes he has a penalty but Newbury is a course that will suit, as will the trip. I think he'll find one or two too good but he's worth a place bet at 5/2


Geoffrey Freer Stakes:
Red Cadeaux £40pl @ 5/2 (2nd)

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Ebor:
Tiger Cliff £20ew @ 12/1

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe:
Gold Ship £15w @ 25/1
Sky Hunter £30w @ 51/1
Flintshire £15w @ 20/1
Treve £15w @ 10/1
Gentildonna £10w @ 33/1
Bravodino £5w @ 76/1

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King George:
Al Ferof £20w @ 16/1

Champion Hurdle:
Jezki £13w @ 20/1
My Tent or Yours £20w @ 95/10

World Hurdle:
Monksland £5w @ 28/1