Saturday racing tips: Best bets and odds for Newbury, Market Rasen and Ripon

Independent

18-07-2025

Saturday's Racing Tips
Ali Shuffle (Newbury, 15.30) – 0.5pt each-way @ 10/1 (William Hill)
Kyle Of Lochalsh (Newbury, 14.25) – 0.5pt each-way @ 11/2 (Bet365)
Kind Of Blue (Newbury, 14.57) – 0.5pt each-way @ 8/1 (Unibet)
Ballysax Hank (Market Rasen, 15.12) – 0.5pt each-way @ 10/1 (Bet365)
Afloat (Ripon, 15.17) – 0.5pt each-way
On The River (Ripon, 16.30) – 0.5pt each-way
Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes Tips – 15.30 Newbury
Eve Johnson Houghton will hope her luck can change in the feature race at Newbury on Saturday. The Berkshire-based trainer has never won the Super Sprint, having had placed runners but this time she saddles the favourite, Havana Hurricane.
His £9,000 price tag means he can run in Saturday's race carrying just 8st 13lbs and, given his success in Royal Ascot's Windsor Castle Stakes, the layers are taking no chances.
He produced an impressive burst of speed from off the pace to win that Listed contest over Ascot's stiff 5f and should have no problems seeing out Newbury's flatter 6f trip.
He clearly looks like the one they all have to beat but favourites have won only three of the last 10 runnings of this contest and there looks to be some value in the price of Ali Shuffle.
Karl Burke's juveniles are enjoying a cracking season, running at a 32 per cent strike rate at the time of writing. This daughter of A'Ali won her first three races off the reel on good ground, before a career-best second in a Group 3 contest at Chantilly (6f, good to soft) last month.
That is smart form and the only blot on her copybook came last time out at Deauville, when she ran inexplicably badly in a 5f Listed event.
She can be forgiven one such effort and, if she can pick up where she left off before that, there's some each-way value in the best-priced 10/1 on offer from horse racing betting sites about her, as she doesn't have a huge amount to find with the favourite at the weights.
Back The Super Boost At BetVictor Handicap Tips – 14.25 Newbury
A thorough test of stamina awaits the field in this extended two-mile contest. Wild Waves looks likely to start as the market leader on the back of an excellent third in Royal Ascot's Queen Alexandra Stakes last month, over an extreme trip. This is more than five furlongs shorter and, arguably, that could suit Andrew Balding's charge more.
However, it's certainly worth a reasonable argument as to whether the likely market principal or Kyle Of Lochalsh has the pick of the form and for my money, the latter's fourth in a 2m4f Goodwood handicap last year merits plenty of respect in context.
That is excellent fast ground form, as was his third in this race last year. He's been dropped 2lb since being beaten over eight lengths in his sole start this season, at Southwell in April and with Hughie Morrison's string in good form, this could be prime time to catch him.
Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes Tips – 14.57 Newbury
Kind Of Blue enjoyed a super three-year-old campaign, going close in Haydock's Group 1 Sprint Cup on the way to winning at the top table in Ascot's Champions Sprint last October.
He appears to act on any ground and is the highest rated runner in this field on official figures. The dilemma for us as punters is his form so far this season. He got away to a terrible start on his reappearance at Chantilly last month and never got into the contest as a result. I think that's just one of those 'too bad to be true' days.
However, I would have expected him to shrug that off and come up with much better at Newcastle last time but again he ran flat. Trainer James Fanshawe could offer no explanation and so there must now be some concerns as to whether he has held his form at four.
I'm not yet of a mind to down tools on the Blue Point colt though. If he can get even within a few pounds of his best again, with the conditions of this Group 3 contest, he'd still have at least an each-way shout and those two under par efforts have meant he's a working man's price again. He looks worth a trusting each-way play to small stakes.
Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase Tips – 15.12 Market Rasen
The Unibet Summer Plate looks a very tricky contest with the Bowen family going into it mob handed. Sean rides the favourite, last year's winner Sure Touch who arrives this time around on a 1lb lower mark.
James Bowen rides Bhaloo for Nicky Henderson, who trained the winner of the 2019 renewal, Casablanca Mix and brother Mickey, who is now the sole training licensee, with father Peter (who won this race three times in the last seven years) having retired, saddles second favourite Courtland and last-time winner Statuario, so there's 'Bowened' to be someone disappointed.
It could be the case that the entire family leaves empty handed though, as I like the look of the Irish raider, Ballysax Hank. Trainer Gavin Cromwell has proved he can pick up prizes at the top festivals and this unexposed chaser could be thrown in off a mark of 128.
Ironically, he finished third behind a horse named Bowensonfire in a Bellewstown hurdle recently but that was over a trip that would have put more emphasis on speed. He's only run three times over fences, winning over 2m3f at Downpatrick in March and that hurdles spin should have him spot on for a crack at this big summer prize, after a break.
He should still have more to offer back over this longer trip and at a double figure price on betting sites he looks an each-way player.
Ripon Tips
At Ripon, the best betting race on the card looks to be the Sky Bet Go-Racing-In-Yorkshire Summer Festival Handicap (15.17) and Afloat looks to be an interesting runner. I am largely an advocate for horses who race prominently on the round course at Yorkshire's 'Garden Racecourse' but it could be worth changing tack this time.
There are several in this field who could make it a strong pace, including course specialist Ey Up It's The Boss, who is certainly a danger, and Swift Salian. The prominent racer theory tends to be served best when the leader is able to bowl along, uncontested but when there are more than one up front it can be a negative, as they can get racing too early.
That looks like it could be the case here and it that happens, a hold-up horse like Afloat would be well suited to come home with a late rattle and George Scott's five-year-old gets the vote.
Also at the North Yorkshire track, the Sky Bet Extra Places Daily Handicap (16.30) sees several course and distance winners involved, notably Cosmos Raj, who has already won at the track this season and Garden Oasis. The former looks capable of running another big race but both look like needing to be close to their best to win again.
The latter was a close second in this race last year to On The River and the latter is taken to repeat the feat from what is now a 5lb higher mark. The forecast cut in the ground will suit Harriet Bethell's charge and if he is able to repeat the effort he put up when scoring at Carlisle (1m, soft) on his penultimate start, he could take all the beating.
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