Lex Victoria won the 3:05 Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Newcomers’ Maiden at Newmarket at 4/1, the €1.1m breeze-up price tag surviving first contact with a racecourse. The 13/8 favourite Watch Party — this morning’s verdict — was four and a half lengths back in third. Expensive puzzle, expensive answer, wrong favourite.
| Pos | Horse | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Lex Victoria | David Probert | 4/1 |
| 2nd | Thi Qar | Robert Havlin | 9/1 |
| 3rd | Watch Party | Robbie Downey | 13/8 F |
The Race Story
David Probert made it simple for the Crisfords’ filly: steady pace, made virtually all, wound it up at halfway, then repelled the Gosdens’ Thi Qar in a sustained two-furlong duel to score by a neck in 1m 28.59s. Watch Party, sent off favourite on her Varian yard’s reputation for readied newcomers, kept on without threatening. Godspeed Girl, the preview’s 17/2 value nomination, was backed into 2/1 second favourite and managed only fifth — the money was smart, the filly wasn’t. Tote win: £5.
Tipster Accountability
A miss on both counts for the preview — the Watch Party verdict was third, the Godspeed Girl value line fifth despite market support. In fairness it flagged Lex Victoria’s price tag first among the fancied trio; in this series, fairness doesn’t pay out. Nothing here for the tracked ledger — Asquith’s Value Bet debut and Kealy’s Ascot quartet settle in Sunday’s review. The card’s earlier nursery went to value pick Eabha at 15/2.
Looking Ahead
The 3:40 William Hill Handicap is next on the July Course, and it’s the preview’s biggest remaining swing: Castle Rock at 6/5, with a mark of 89 the preview reckons “could seriously underestimate” the returning Appleby juvenile star. After two Newmarket favourites beaten in a row, 6/5 suddenly looks skinnier than it did at breakfast.
