ITV Racing Saturday Newcastle & Newmarket Preview

The first race of the day on ITV on Saturday is the Class 2 JenningsBet Festival Handicap over 6f and Raatea at the top of the market looks the one to beat.

Julie Camacho heads into this weekend on a high having landed her first Group One Royal Ascot winner last week and running at a 25% strike rate heading into the meeting makes her a trainer to follow.

Raatea has been a largely consistent horse for this trainer especially on his two runs this season starting the term off at Newmarket in the big fielded Howden Handicap over 6f when a good fifth of 21.

Dropped 1lb to a mark of 90 for his latest event at Haydock when taking another competitive handicap at Haydock, he heads back to a course and distance he has won at before off only 3lb higher.

The one to beat.

The first event from Newmarket on ITV's Saturday show is the Listed Empress Fillies' Stakes over 6f and Star Of Mystery for Charlie Appleby could be very tough to beat off the back of her form this term.

Making her debut on good ground at Doncaster when bumping into the likeable Carla's Way for Simon & Ed Crisford, she then went to Haydock in the middle of June and got off the mark in impressive style when bolting up by 11 lengths.

There is more progression to come from this filly and with the trainer winning this race back in 2019, Star Of Mystery looks to have more potential than that horse.

Could be tough to beat.

Next up at Newcastle is one of their feature races of the day with the Group Three Chipchase Stakes over 6f and although not being seen for 259 days Brad The Brief is the one to beat on ratings.

Last year the sprinter showed the best of his form by starting off the season at Haydock when putting away Group One winner Glen Shiel by over three lengths in a decent Conditions Stakes.

Sent to the Curragh next time out he made it back to back wins when landing the Group Two Greenlands Stakes from Mooniesta.

Seen only once more throughout the season when putting in a lesser performance in the Group One British Champions Sprint Stakes.

He is obviously a tough horse to train having a fair few lay offs over the last two years, but his record fresh is excellent having won on his first outing of the season in three of his last four campaigns.

Dropping into a Group Three makes him a contender.

Another nice event from Newmarket on Saturday is the Listed Fred Archer Stakes over 1m4f and New London for Charlie Appleby is the one to beat if fully wound up for the event.

Seen once as a juvenile when getting off the mark on debut at Newmarket in October over 1m2f, he was then put away for his three year old campaign.

Starting last season off over the same course and distance he made it back to back wins under a penalty but was then sent to Chester on soft ground and did not handle the track at all finishing a well beaten second behind Changingoftheguard for Aidan O'Brien in the Cheshire Vase.

With his Derby dreams dashed after that race he was dropped back to 1m2f on the July Course and resumed winning ways off a mark of 99 in the competitive bet365 Handicap.

Sent to Glorious Goodwood up to 1m4f he revelled in the extra distance to land the Group Three Gordon Stakes from the likes of Deauville Legend, Hoo Ya Mal and West Wind Blows.

Sent off the favourite for the Group One St Leger Stakes at Doncaster when last seen he finished third but was promoted to second but did not stay aswell as the smart winner Eldar Eldarov.

Dropping 1m4f will be a big plus as it looks his optimum trip and coming back in grade to Listed class albeit it being a decent event, he should have too much for these if fully wound up.

The first of the long distance contests from Newcastle is the Northumberland Vase over 2m 1/2f and we are taking a chance on La Hacienda at a double figure price.

Seen once this term in a Listed event over two miles at Killarney she finished a close third behind a well handicapped horse for Joseph O'Brien and with the trainer only sending two horses over for across the card and this looking the best of the bunch, it is worth taking note of.

Dropping to a handicap having ran in Listed class and showing she definitely stays the trip having a national hunt background he looks extremely interesting.

Newmarket's final event on ITV sees their feature Group Three Criterion Stakes over 7f and from a price perspective Berkshire Shadow looks to have been overlooked in the market at 5/1.

A quality horse during his career especially as a juvenile when winning on career debut and then going to Royal Ascot where he took the Group Two Coventry Stakes with ease.

Second in the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood when upped to 7f, since then he lost his way never getting involved in the finish albeit in some good races, but as a three year old he did not seem to progress like connections thought he would.

However, this season he bounced back to form in a big way at Wolverhampton on seasonal debut when seeing off Angel Bleu easily to land the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolves.

That was a perfect prep run ahead of the All-Weather Mile Championships event at Newcastle where he saw off Chichester over a mile.

Seen twice more since then he was stepped up into Group One company and he ran a cracker to finish just over two lengths behind Modern Games in the Lockinge Stakes.

Last seen at Royal Ascot 11 days ago running another cracker behind Triple Time, Inspiral, Light Infantry and Modern Games to finish fifth in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes, now dropping back into a Group Three and down a furlong, he could be the form shout in the race if none the worse for being turned around quickly.

The final event from Newcastle is their feature event of the afternoon and it sees the Northumberland Plate over the marathon trip and we have picked out two at each way prices that can go well.

The first is the Deborah Faulkner trained Golden Rules who has a superb pedigree being a son of Arc winner Golden Horn that is also related to superstar sire Galileo.

Previously with John & Thady Gosden having shaped well as a three year old in his three runs, he was seen three more times as a four year old last turn, making his seasonal debut at Wolverhampton over 1m6f and only going down by a nose off 92 on handicap debut.

Sent to Newmarket over the same trip up a 1lb in the handicap, he did not seem to run to his true level finishing back in fourth but on his final start last term ran a much better race over 1m4f in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot when a good fourth of 19 only finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner Reshoun.

Not seen in 2022, he returned after a long time off in March with his new trainer and stepped up to 2m at Kempton he ran out an easy winner of a handicap off 91.

Given a 3lb rise for that effort the step up to 2m might be the making of him and he looks an interesting runner being unexposed at this trip.

Oisin Murphy is a positive booking.

At a bigger price is a bit of a cliff horse for us in Law Of The Sea who is very likely to hit the frame off the back of his runs for Ian Williams this season.

Law Of The Sea moved to Ian Williams this season and was immediately stepped up in trip at Chester when finishing a staying on fourth in the Chester Vase, having no luck in running but still managing to fly home for a place.

Only raised 1lb for that run he went to Haydock when last seen in the Hell Nook Handicap over two miles and running another solid race he was a narrow second to Solent Getaway.

Still looking feasibly treated off a mark of 92 he went into the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot 11 days ago and ran a cracker over 2m4f to finish a close up fourth.

The drop back to this trip will suit and having been very consistent of late he is worth playing again from an each way perspective.