ITV Racing Saturday Newbury, Market Rasen & Curragh Preview

The first selection of the afternoon of the afternoon on ITV sees the Listed Steventon Stakes over 1m2f and the highly consistent Highland Avenue can't be dismissed.

A horse that has bounced back to form in a big way this term making his seasonal debut at Newmarket over 1m2f when only three lengths back in third behind Adayar and Anmaat in the Group Three Gordon Richards Stakes.

Sent to Epsom after that in the Group Three Diomed Stakes and again he ran a screamer to finish second the talented and experienced Regal Reality.

Last seen at Royal Ascot in the highly competitive Listed Wolferton Stakes over 1m2f, he finished a close up fourth behind the likes of Royal Champion, Bolshoi Ballet and Buckaroo.

This looks a much easier Listed event and being versatile when it comes to good or soft ground, this might be the race that sees him back to winning ways.

The first selection of the afternoon from Market Rasen over the jumps sees Wavering Down in the Handicap Hurdle over 2m 4 1/2f and he looks set up to have a good crack at this event.

Seen just once this during this summer jumps season at Uttoxeter in June having raced to a fair level during the winter, he finished a neck second over 2m 7 1/2f on his first run almost four months.

He will strip much fitter for that run and now dropping in trip off just a 2lb higher mark he looks as though this has been the target since.

Next up at Newbury is the Mettal UK Handicap over the marathon trip of 2m 1/2f and it looks a shootout between the top two in the market.

We are siding with the bigger priced Sweet William for John & Thady Gosden who has never gone over this far but from his pedigree looks as though it will suit.

Second on his first two starts as a juvenile last term when running over 1m4f at Kempton and Ascot and on both occasions went down by less than half a length.

Those runs gave him perfect experience for his three year old campaign and he started this term off at Southwell when second for a third straight time, bumping into Queen's Vase second Saint George for Andrew Balding, again going down by just half a length.

Last seen at Kempton only 15 days ago and getting off the mark in impressive fashion, he now steps up in trip by just over half a mile and being a half brother to thorough stayers including Group One winner Hurricane Lane, this distance could be the making of him.

Another nice event over the jumps at Market Rasen is the Summer Handicap Hurdle over 2m 1/2f and Myristica although stepping up in grade seems to be in the form of her life.

A nice horse on the flat for King Power and Tim Easterby reaching a highest rating of 91, she has looked exceptional since being sold to David Pipe and going over hurdles.

Making her jumps debut at Worcester in May when a head second to Komedy Kicks and learning a lot for the experience she has since landed a hat-trick of races.

Getting off the mark over timber at Southwell when bolting up by 14 lengths in a Mares Maiden Hurdle, she then backed that up next time out at Newton Abbot by scoring by 17 lengths under a penalty.

Bringing up the hat-trick at Worcester last time out in a Novices' Hurdle giving bags of weight away to the field again, she now steps up in class off 2lb higher and if improving again is sure to be in the mix.

The feature race of the afternoon from Newbury is the Group Three Hackwood Stakes over 6f and we are siding with the three year old Cold Case for Karl Burke, who can't do wrong this season.

A superstar juvenile last term that was given plenty of runs and towards the end of last season truly showed his class when landing the £300,000 Weatherbys Scientific Stakes at Doncaster and the Listed William Hill Two Year Old Trophy at Redcar.

This term he picked up from where he left off making it a hat-trick of wins on his first three year old start when taking the Group Three Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes at Ascot seeing off the King's Stands Stakes winner Bradsell.

Cold Case was last seen putting in the worst performance of his career when fifth of seven in the Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock, but the ground was too quick for him that day.

Any rain that falls on or before Saturday would be good for this horse and putting that last run behind him he is a highly consistent horse that holds a big chance in this one.

The feature race of the afternoon at Market Rasen is the Summer Plate Handicap Chase over 2m 5 1/2f and we have picked out two runners that can hit the frame.

The first is the Peter Bowen trained Courtland who is unbeaten in his last three events during the summer, making his debut for the season at Worcester in May when bolting up over 2m4f.

Sent over the same C&D off 6lb higher he took the rise in his stride to win by a similar margin of just less than eight lengths.

He bought up the hat-trick last time out over C&D at Market Rasen in a perfect prep race for this event, again winning well and only 6lb higher off a mark of 128 he should go close again.

Form horse.

At a similar price in the race is the Sarah Humphrey trained Gloire D'athon who has been very consistent over the last year or so and if getting the extra trip should go close again.

Racking up three wins to finish 2022, he continued that form int 2023 when finishing a good second to the well handicapped Lord Baddesley at Plumpton.

However, off the back of that run, although getting a bit of luck he got back to winning ways at Sandown in the Josh Gifford Novices' Handicap Chase, seeing off the labouring Harper's Brook by close to five lengths.

Last seen at the back end of May off a mark of 128 he saw off Quid Pro Quo and Killer Clown to win easily again in the valuable Clark Chase at Uttoxeter and having been saved for this event since, he is a horse bang in form that should step up again off 5lb higher.

Newbury's final event on Saturday is the valuable Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes over five furlongs for the juveniles and with over 20 runners going to post we have picked out two chances.

The first is the favourite Relief Rally for William Haggas who by far holds the best form heading into the race and if coming forward again does not have many holes in her.

A winner on debut at Windsor over 5f when seeing off the talented Gaiden by two lengths, she then improved next time out to make it back to back wins at Salisbury when giving 2lb to Juniper Berries and winning comfortably.

Last seen at Royal Ascot in the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes, she was the most unluckiest loser of the week being ahead at every stage bar the line, finishing a nose second to the American raider Crimson Advocate.

One to beat here effectively getting away with a penalty for finishing second last time in a race she should have won.

One at a slightly bigger price in the event and very interesting is the Irish raider Son Of Corballis who looks a very pacy horse that is versatile when it comes to ground, which could be key with the ever changing forecast.

Seen three times to date making his debut at Tipperary in April when beating a nice type for Aidan O'Brien, he then went to Sandown and lost the race at the start in the Listed National Stakes, never really getting involved.

He put that run behind him when last seen back at Tipperary in a good Listed event, managing to see off the smart Alabama for Aidan O'Brien.

He is a horse on the up and deserves his chance in a race like this having proved it at Listed level already.

The feature race from the Curragh on Saturday is the Group One Irish Oaks and it looks hard to split the two Aidan O'Brien horses at the top of the market with Savethelastdance and Warm Heat both holding some serious form.

We are going with the former to get the job done with not much to split them but with Savethelastdance having a 20 day extra break she might just be fresher.

Seen just once as a juvenile when fifth of eight at Thurles over a mile in a Maiden, she was then put away for her three year old campaign.

Given her seasonal debut this term she made a huge impression at Leopardstown when stepped up to 1m2f and going on to beat stablemate Boogie Woogie by 2 1/4 lengths.

Boogie Woogie has since bolted up in a Fillies' Maiden at Naas and the third Azazat has also gone on to frank the form in a good way.

O'Brien then sent her to the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester and putting up arguably the performance of the season so far she went on to bolt up by 22 lengths, with her sectional times being outrageous.

She was last seen in the Epsom Oaks when going off the well backed 5/6 fav and she was narrowly beaten on quick ground by Soul Sister for John & Thady Gosden.

She looks a horse that needs cut in the ground and gets that again on Saturday and with Ryan Moore choosing her over Warm Heat, she just gets the nod.