Saturday Lucky 15: Best Bets from Newmarket

The headquarters of the flat racing game takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon as Newmarket stages the third and final day of the historic Cambridgeshire meeting. The 35-runner handicap presents a fiendishly difficult puzzle for punters to solve, but elsewhere on the card, the fields look a little more manageable.

Here, using data presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out four selections to make up an each way Lucky 15, including in the Group 1 duo of the Cheveley Park Stakes and Middle Park Stakes.

Saturday: British Stallion Studs EBF ‘Jersey Lily’ Fillies’ Nursery Handicap - Newmarket, 1:15

The fillies kick off the action as 11 go to post in this 7f affair. Andrew Balding’s Ghost Run heads the betting on the back of a solid success at Doncaster earlier in the month. She showed a good attitude over 6½f that day, suggesting that this slight step up in trip should be within reach. However, her worst effort so far came on good to soft ground, and the forecast rain may be against her.

Having already won on soft ground, the John Ryan-trained Naina has no such concerns. A three-time winner over this distance, she arrives in form but has a question to answer regarding the track, having beat only two home over this course and distance in August.

Amy Murphy’s Creative Lady is 6lb better off for a 4l defeat to Naina last time and may have more to offer, but our vote goes to the Starspangledbanner filly Magic Love. This Harry Charlton runner showed little in her first three starts, but there were excuses – racing too keenly first time up, bumped on her second start, and failing to handle the surface at Kempton. Last time out at Thirsk was much more like it as she powered away inside the final furlong. Significantly, that effort came on the softest ground she has encountered to date, and the dam side of her pedigree suggests she may improve for this step up in trip.

• Recommended Bet - Magic Love each way @ 6/1 with BetGoodwin

Saturday: Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes – Newmarket, 1:50

Race two sees us move up in class for a Group 2 contest restricted to the colts and geldings. This is often well worth watching with an eye to the future, with the pick of the past ten winners being multiple Group 1 hero Roaring Lion.

Charlie Fellowes Frankel colt Luther has made his way to the head of the market following an impressive Listed success at Haydock last time. He certainly caught the eye with the manner he quickened up that day, and, already mentioned as a 2000 Guineas possible, he merits the utmost respect.

Wimbledon Hawkeye’s second to The Lion In Winter reads well, as does the third-place effort of Royal Patronage in the Group 3 Solario Stakes, whilst Aidan O’Brien’s nicely bred youngster, Puppet Master, scored nicely in a soft ground maiden last time.

There are plenty of chances here, but the one we like best is the Ralph Beckett-trained Angelo Buonarroti. Beckett isn’t one to throw his youngsters in at the deep end too often, so the fact that this one made his career debut in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes suggests he must show plenty at home. Running well to be beaten only 3l that day, he built on that to see off 16 rivals when landing his maiden over this trip at York. We loved the way he found more once challenged that day, and this Justify colt may prove tough to pass.

• Recommended Bet - Angelo Buonarroti each way @ 5/1 with BetGoodwin

Saturday: Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes – Newmarket, 2:25pm

The bookmakers make the first of the Group 1 affairs a head-to-head clash between the Irish fillies Babouche and Lake Victoria. On the form shown to date, it’s hard to argue with that assessment.

Babouche particularly catches the eye. Making the trip over from the Ger Lyons yard, this Juddmonte-owned filly boasts a perfect three-from-three record and landed the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last time when seeing off hot favourite Whisteljacket. With Whisteljacket having since landed the Group 1 Prix Morny to assume Middle Park Stakes favouritism, Babouche makes obvious appeal but is priced accordingly.

Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria is similarly unbeaten in three outings, including the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Beautifully bred – by Frankel and out of the Group 1 winning sprinter Quiet Reflection – she should go close if handling this drop back to 6f (all runs to date over 7f).

As likeable as the top two in the market are, the filly to carry our cash is the French raider Rayevka. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has sent seven runners to Britain this year, four of whom have finished in the first two, including big Group winners Calandagan and Goliath. Rayevka takes a big step up in class but, crucially, relishes soft ground - having hacked up on soft at Chantilly last time. With conditions in her favour, she can go close for a yard that doesn’t cross the Channel just for fun.

• Recommended Bet - Rayevka each way @ 11/1 with BetGoodwin

Saturday: Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes – Newmarket, 3:00pm

Aidan O’Brien has won three of the past five editions of this prestigious Group 1 contest and dominates the market in 2024. Topping the pile is the precocious Whistlejacket, who grabbed Prix Morny Gold last time. Three from four when the word soft has entered the going description, he’s a worthy favourite at around the Even money mark.

O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett colt Ides Of March comes next in the market, having shown blistering speed in his past two starts at the Curragh. Much too good in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes last time, he is a major threat to all if handling the likely slower ground.

Gimcrack runner-up Shadow Of Light and Richmond Stakes winner Black Forza are the other standouts on form, but with the favourite taking so much out of the market, we can’t resist rolling the each-way dice on one at a huge price.

The last big shock in this race came courtesy of Mark Johnston’s The Last Lion, who scored at 25/1 in 2016. Interestingly, the Johnston yard (now in the hands of son Charlie) has had only two runners in the race since, both of whom ran with credit - Cardsharp finishing third in 2017 and Marie’s Diamond missing an each-way payout by half a length, when fourth in 2018.

The strapping colt Dash Dizzy is the horse to carry the Johnston hopes this year. Looking in need of the run on debut at Pontefract, he stepped up on that with an impressive display of pace last time at Kempton. He will need much more here, but as a half-brother to Group 1 winning sprinter Sioux Nation, he makes plenty of pedigree appeal and is worth chancing to hit the frame.

• Recommended Bet - Dash Dizzy each way @ 50/1 with BetGoodwin

A 50p each way Lucky 15 returns £21,061.67 with BetGoodwin if all four runners win or £241.42 if they finish in the placed positions.

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