Latest news with #BetfredHandicap
Powys County Times
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
More Thunder sparkles under brilliant Marquand ride
More Thunder left it late to book his ticket to Royal Ascot, as Tom Marquand delivered his mount with perfection in the Betfred Handicap at Newmarket. Remarkably, the four-year-old was a winner over 10 furlongs for Sir Michael Stoute, but has excelled since enterprisingly sent sprinting by new trainer William Haggas and made it two from two for the Somerville Lodge team after some real artistry in the saddle from Marquand aboard the 11-4 favourite. Haggas said: 'Tom said he just hit a ridge at the wrong time, but he stayed on well. He felt it was more the track that meant he got there so late rather than the distance. He felt he was plenty fast enough. 'I think something like the Wokingham might be the sensible route at this stage. If we didn't he'd have to go into a stakes race, but at the moment he's still low enough to be competitive in handicaps. 'He did have 3lb less than he should have done today and that would have made all the difference.' There was a win for another ex-Stoute inmate with Fox Legacy (15-2) putting up a fine display to claim the Betfred Suffolk Stakes for Andrew Balding in the hands of Oisin Murphy. The victory continued Balding's fine form at Newmarket this term and he said: 'He's won that off a mark of 90 so he's a solid handicapper. 'The problem he might have is there aren't many races over that trip of nine furlongs. Obviously there's the Cambridgeshire, but that is a long way off so we'll just play it by ear as who knows what the ground will be like.' Tiger Bay roared home to claim the Oddschecker British EBF Ellen Chaloner Stakes. It looked like William Knight's front-running Frost At Dawn had slipped the field approaching the final furlong, but Henry Candy's 11-1 chance ran on powerfully once Trevor Whelan slipped her into top gear, registering a neck verdict in the Listed event. 'I thought she had plenty to find on ratings, but looking at her there should still be more to come as she hasn't quite come in her coat yet,' said Candy. 'She'll be stepping up to seven furlongs I would have thought, she was taken off her feet there and I didn't think she was going to get there in time. 'The problem is the next seven-furlong race is the Chartwell at Lingfield, but it will come too soon and there aren't many other options so we'll just have to see, she might have to race against the boys.'
Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
ITV Racing tips: Saturday May 3 – Newmarket, Goodwood and Thirsk
The ITV Racing cameras are at three of today's seven horse racing meetings to bring terrestrial viewers coverage of four races from the second day of Newmarket's Guineas Festival. There's also one race from each of the meetings at Goodwood and Thirsk in the broadcast, which airs on ITV1 from 1.30-4.00pm. Our expert has picked a selection from each of the races at Newmarket. ITV Racing tips – Newmarket, Goodwood and Thirsk, May 3 1.45 Newmarket – Stanage (each-way) @ 12/1 with Betfair 2.20 Newmarket – Hand of God @ 5/2 with Betfair 2.55 Newmarket – Tropical Storm @ 6/1 with Betfair 3.35 Newmarket – Field of Gold @ 7/4 with Betfair Odds provided by Betfair and correct at the time of writing. If you already have a Betfair account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. 1.45 Newmarket – Betfred Handicap (Class 2, 6f) STANAGE switched stables from the Gosdens to the Easterbys last November and has been on the up in his two outings this year. In March he won a Class 4 handicap over today's trip at Doncaster and last month he finished a useful third over course and distance in Class 2 company. He didn't get a smooth passage in the latter race and we think he could push the favourites and will finish at least in the first four here. 2.20 Newmarket – Suffolk Handicap (Class 2, 1m 1f) HAND OF GOD looks a worthy favourite, having won each of his last three races – a sequence that began with victory over a mile here in 2023. The lightly raced four-year-old won a pair of Class 2 races in 2024: the Esher Cup at Sandown in April and the Golden Gates Handicap at Ascot in June. Ryan Moore, who rode him in the first of those, returns in the saddle today. 2.55 Newmarket – Hong Kong Jockey Club Palace House Stakes (Group 3, 5f) In what looks to be an open race over the minimum trip, we're banking on the age allowance for the three-year-old TROPICAL STORM to prove decisive. Second in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, he ran disappointingly at Glorious Goodwood before bouncing back to win a Listed race at York and finish fourth in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster in September. Oisin Murphy's mount is a threat to his older rivals here. 3.35 Newmarket – 2,000 Guineas (Group 1, 1m) It's hard to look beyond the favourite FIELD OF GOLD in the first Classic of the English Flat season. John and Thady Gosden's colt has won three of his five races, including a course-and-distance victory in the Group 3 Craven Stakes on his seasonal reappearance last month. That day he came from last to first to win by three and a half lengths from Wimbledon Hawkeye, one of his 10 rivals here. Two runners come here with Group 1 wins to their names. Ruling Court won the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes here last autumn, over six and seven furlongs respectively, with Expanded a neck behind him in the latter. Scorthy Champ won the National Stakes at The Curragh in September.
