Nick Luck
Nick Luck’s William Hill Blog: Saturday’s Best Bets
William Hill ambassador Nick Luck provides his tips for a brilliant day’s racing across Newbury, Market Rasen, and Ripon, with the G3 Hackwood Stakes taking centre stage.
Saturday, Newbury
SILAWI might be able to upset the applecart in the tricky looking Listed Steventon Stakes (1.55pm). He’s quite a handy horse on his day, goes well fresh, loves fast ground, and – most crucially – could get a soft time of it up front under his underrated rider. With favourite Persica almost certainly better with give in the ground, and Oceans Four a hard horse to assess, the proven Silawi can make them all go.
BAHADUR looks like he has a fair bit more to offer, and he can take the staying handicap (2.25pm). He ran with great credit at Ascot when poorly positioned and not quite seeing it out as well as the Northumberland Plate. He will appreciate the return to this distance on firm turf, and has William Buick booked. This is easier than the races he’s been contesting, and he remains somewhat unexposed.
MITBAAHY looks the overpriced one in the Hackwood Stakes (3.02pm). This horse has talent to burn, but it’s not been straightforward unlocking it. His run amongst a couple of these opponents in the Wokingham was really striking after a breathing operation, and it seems reasonable to think he can take a step forward from that.
ETIENNE appeals as a likely one in the Super Sprint (3.37pm). He is a homebred put through the auction ring with the express intention of a race like this, and he might have got in lightly relative to his ability, which looked plentiful on his debut at Newmarket. He might have won that race with a bit more street wisdom and the horse who finished upsides him ran well again in a very warm heat at Ascot last week.
Saturday, Market Rasen
MOJITO DES MOTTES is a confident pick to go well in the Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen (2.10pm). He was pretty undistinguished in his qualifying runs but looked a different ball game at Ascot in March after a breathing operation. The handicapper hardly overreacted to that given that he might well have won under more positive tactics, and he can make amends here.
SOUL ICON can go well again in the Summer Plate (2.45pm). He hardly holds any secrets, but he’s very effective on a sound surface going this way round, as evidenced by a storming run in this race two years ago. I’m not sure this is the classiest renewal, and I’m trusting Harry Cobden – who has elicited two of his best efforts – to deliver him to perfection.
Saturday, Ripon
PER CONTRA is a bit of a shot in the dark in the Bell Ringer at Ripon (3.15pm). He’s not been running especially well, but he’s been chopped another three pounds since a completely inconclusive effort at York. Second in this race last year, he’ll find these calmer waters and is handicapped to go close if he can get his act together out of the stalls.
