The Bottom Line
- 1.55 Newmarket: Graceful Song (6/4) — Appleby’s Dubawi filly can take the step up to Group 3 company in her stride.
- 2.30 Newmarket: Sanbona Warrior (9/4) — looks well treated off 78 on nursery debut.
- 3.40 Newmarket: Castle Rock (6/5) — a mark of 89 could seriously underestimate this returning Appleby juvenile star.
- 4.14 Newmarket: Drymee (15/8) — two from three and still improving for James Fanshawe.
There is a proper Saturday feel to the newmarket races today, with the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes topping a seven-race card on the July Course and ITV cameras on site to beam the big one into living rooms at 1.55. Racing runs from 1.55 to 5.23, the going is good to firm, and the fast-ground specialists should be in their element.
Meeting Context
The July Course rides quick this weekend: good to firm going, sunny skies, barely a breath of wind and temperatures nudging 27C. Stalls are centre for the 5f, 7f and mile races, with the 1m6f contest starting from the inside.
ITV’s coverage (1.10–5.00pm) takes in the 1.55 Sweet Solera from Newmarket alongside the six-race Shergar Cup card at Ascot and the Rose of Lancaster and Dick Hern Stakes at Haydock. The full rundown is in our ITV racing schedule.
Worth noting before you strike a bet: high numbers have been favoured on the July Course of late, and Charlie Appleby’s stable is flying — he saddles fancied runners in four of the seven races.
1.55 – Newsells Park Stud Sweet Solera Stakes (Group 3, 7f)
The feature, live on ITV, is a fascinating seven-runner affair for two-year-old fillies with Classic pretensions — Sweet Solera winners often go on to 1,000 Guineas trials and beyond.
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (3) | Graceful Song | Billy Loughnane | Charlie Appleby | 1 | 6/4 |
| 5 (5) | Nuit D’eclair | David Egan | K Philippart de Foy | 14 | 5/2 |
| 4 (4) | Martinet | Jack Gilligan | Sir Mark Prescott | 41 | 13/2 |
| 1 (6) | China In Your Hand | Paddy Bradley | Charlie Fellowes | 31 | 7/1 |
| 3 (2) | Harlequin Sky | Silvestre De Sousa | Jane Chapple-Hyam | 3536 | 17/2 |
| 6 (1) | Sugar Yes Please | Charles Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton | 41 | 14/1 |
| 7 (7) | Tie A Navyribbon | Josephine Gordon | William Stone | 3 | 50/1 |
The Favourites: Graceful Song, a Dubawi filly from the all-conquering Appleby yard, landed short odds on her course-and-distance debut and is bred to be far better than a maiden winner. Nuit D’eclair won her maiden first time out before a creditable fourth in the Group 3 Princess Margaret at Ascot — she already has the class edge on proven form if this extra furlong suits.
The Value: China In Your Hand, third at Doncaster before making no mistake in a course-and-distance maiden, represents local handler Charlie Fellowes and shapes as though this step up in class won’t faze her. Sir Mark Prescott rarely runs juveniles in Group races without good reason, so Thirsk winner Martinet commands respect too.
The Verdict: GRACEFUL SONG. The visual impression of her debut win, the pedigree and the yard’s strike rate all point one way — she can give Billy Loughnane a big-race Saturday winner.
2.30 – William Hill Epic Boost Nursery (Class 4, 7f)
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Mysterious Times | Billy Loughnane | Charlie Appleby | 332 | 7/4 |
| 4 (7) | Sanbona Warrior | Marco Ghiani | William Knight | 21 | 9/4 |
| 3 (5) | Betty Boop | Neil Callan | Richard Hughes | 31 | 4/1 |
| 2 (3) | Eabha | Charles Bishop | Eve Johnson Houghton | 331 | 15/2 |
| 7 (8) | Regal Tiger | David Probert | Hugo Palmer | 422 | 11/1 |
| 5 (4) | Rhodes Runner | Hector Crouch | Ralph Beckett | 4324 | 12/1 |
| 6 (2) | Desert Legend | David Egan | Richard Hannon | 303 | 33/1 |
| 8 (6) | Theheatison | Silvestre De Sousa | Nick Scholfield | 5514 | 35/1 |
The Favourites: Top weight Mysterious Times has hit the frame on all three starts for Appleby and steps up to 7f for his nursery bow. York novice winner Betty Boop is open to plenty of improvement over further for Richard Hughes.
The Value: Eabha won over this trip at Epsom and should have more to offer at 15/2.
The Verdict: SANBONA WARRIOR. The Doncaster winner looks well treated off 78 and Marco Ghiani’s mount can outrun the head of the market.
3.05 – Tattersalls £40,000 EBF ‘Newcomers’ Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (Class 2, 7f)
A race for expensive first-timers — and it lost its most interesting entrant with Godolphin’s Dubawi filly Danse Royale a non-runner, leaving seven debutantes.
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (5) | Lex Victoria | David Probert | Simon & Ed Crisford | – | 15/8 |
| 8 (8) | Watch Party | Robbie Downey | Roger Varian | – | 11/4 |
| 7 (7) | Thi Qar | Robert Havlin | John & Thady Gosden | – | 3/1 |
| 2 (2) | Godspeed Girl | P J McDonald | Andrew Balding | – | 17/2 |
| 6 (6) | Rubyroo | David Egan | Hugo Palmer | – | 12/1 |
| 3 (3) | Harlequin Dream | Silvestre De Sousa | Jane Chapple-Hyam | – | 12/1 |
| 4 (4) | Just Scarlet | Daniel Muscutt | James Fanshawe | – | 14/1 |
The Favourites: Lex Victoria, a €1.1m breeze-up buy for the Crisfords, heads the market ahead of Watch Party, a 300,000gns Lope De Vega half-sister to a winner from Roger Varian’s yard, and the Gosdens’ 260,000gns Mehmas filly Thi Qar.
The Value: Andrew Balding won a recent renewal of this and his 200,000gns filly Godspeed Girl is overpriced at 17/2 in an all-newcomers puzzle.
The Verdict: WATCH PARTY — Varian readies his newcomers well and the pedigree says 7f on fast ground will be ideal. Odds correct at time of writing.
3.40 – William Hill Extra Place Races Daily Handicap (Class 2, 7f)
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (7) | Castle Rock | Billy Loughnane | Charlie Appleby | 411- | 6/5 |
| 5 (5) | Angel Hunter | Pat Dobbs | Richard Hannon | 81667642 | 9/2 |
| 1 (2) | Arctic Dawn | Hector Crouch | Daniel & Claire Kubler | 5185-3106 | 5/1 |
| 8 (4) | Sword | Olivia Haines | Stuart Williams | 0820-8365 | 9/1 |
| 6 (1) | Humam | Marco Ghiani | Stuart Williams | 8534-0030 | 10/1 |
| 2 (10) | Military Code | Toby Moore | Charlie Appleby | 110272-70 | 14/1 |
| 7 (6) | Kodi Lion | Alistair Rawlinson | Michael Appleby | 1452905-9 | 16/1 |
| 9 (8) | Pinatubo’s Legacy | David Egan | T J Kent | 1-30 | 18/1 |
Plus Morte Point (20/1) and Betty Clover (25/1) in a ten-strong field.
The Favourites: Castle Rock won his last two as a juvenile on the Rowley Mile and returns from over nine months off in first-time headgear. A mark of 89 could well underestimate an Appleby three-year-old with his profile.
The Value: Angel Hunter arrives in peak form for Richard Hannon after a close second at Thirsk, while Arctic Dawn wasn’t beaten far in the International at Royal Ascot.
The Verdict: CASTLE ROCK, short price and all — the stable is in red-hot form and fitness is the only question.
4.14 – William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap (Class 3, 1m)
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 (7) | Drymee | Ashley Lewis | James Fanshawe | 4-711 | 15/8 |
| 3 (3) | Runswick | Billy Loughnane | Ed Dunlop | 0610-3218 | 4/1 |
| 2 (2) | Man Of Vision | Toby Moore | Charlie Appleby | 251-290 | 4/1 |
| 5 (5) | Go Rimbaud | Robert Havlin | John & Thady Gosden | 422-1510 | 5/1 |
| 1 (1) | Looka | Silvestre De Sousa | Marco Botti | 615- | 5/1 |
| 6 (6) | Luzon Heights | Marco Ghiani | William Knight | 412-52429 | 11/1 |
| 4 (4) | Vincenzo Peruggia | David Egan | Charlie Johnston | 310-2700 | 18/1 |
The Favourites: Drymee has won his last two, including his handicap bow at Newbury, and could still be ahead of the handicapper off 77 for the in-form Fanshawe yard.
The Value: Looka, fifth in the Solario on his final juvenile start, makes his handicap debut off 92 for Marco Botti and is interesting fresh at 5/1.
The Verdict: DRYMEE — the progressive one in the race, and Ashley Lewis’s claim is a bonus.
4.50 – Keep Your Raceday Positive Handicap (Class 5, 5f)
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (2) | Brave Nation | Billy Loughnane | Michael Attwater | 430307-43 | 15/8 |
| 1 (5) | Merrimack | Chloe Lyons | Stuart Williams | 73238231 | 3/1 |
| 5 (3) | Lion’s House | Paddy Bradley | Linda Perratt | 35020404 | 4/1 |
| 4 (4) | Thornaby Pearl | Oliver Carmichael | Adrian Nicholls | 53414211 | 9/2 |
| 3 (1) | Our Planet | Daniel Muscutt | Michael Keady | 5516470-6 | 17/2 |
| 6 (6) | Loleeta | Marco Ghiani | Stuart Williams | 4421-6825 | 14/1 |
The Favourites: Brave Nation shaped well when third at Sandown on his first start for Michael Attwater despite traffic problems, and races off a career-low mark. Merrimack won over course and distance only last week.
The Value: In-form northern raider Thornaby Pearl, a Musselburgh winner last time, makes each-way appeal at 9/2 — as does his trainer’s rare southern raid.
The Verdict: BRAVE NATION to end his losing run with Loughnane taking 2lb off.
5.23 – William Hill Price Boosts Apprentice Handicap (Class 5, 1m6f)
| No (Draw) | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (4) | Jack Langley | Jack Callan | Charlie Clover | 31-246312 | 15/8 |
| 1 (3) | Prince Quattro | Mason Paetel | James Owen | 37754241 | 5/2 |
| 6 (2) | Fram Castle | Alexandra Egan | Michael Wigham | 252760-82 | 7/2 |
| 3 (6) | Baltic | Ashley Lewis | Lucy Wadham | 2/760-0662 | 9/1 |
| 5 (1) | Dereham | Molly Keegan-Price | John Berry | 5/2123P-43 | 9/1 |
| 4 (5) | Stitching Wheel | C Horgan | Chris Grant | 38-677612 | 9/1 |
The Favourites: Jack Langley has thrived since joining Charlie Clover, winning at Lingfield and going down narrowly at Nottingham, while Prince Quattro won over two miles here in June and has run well over hurdles since.
The Value: Fram Castle was clear of the rest when just touched off at Lingfield 17 days ago and is respected up in class at 7/2.
The Verdict: JACK LANGLEY can resume winning ways for his young rider.
Accumulator
Our four-fold from the July Course: Graceful Song (1.55, 6/4) – Sanbona Warrior (2.30, 9/4) – Castle Rock (3.40, 6/5) – Drymee (4.14, 15/8). The combined odds work out at roughly 50/1 — a tidy return if Appleby’s big two do their bit.
If you fancy going further afield, our previews of Redcar and the rest of Saturday’s action are live now.
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