Newmarket Saturday

1.45 Betfred Handicap (Heritage Handicap) 6f

Double Rush is on his way to greater things and can’t be opposed under a penalty for his impressive win over course and distance at the Craven Meeting, where he had plenty to spare over placed pair Coul Angel and Invictus Gold, who both reoppose.

He can run off an effective mark of 95 here, but I’d fancy him to be able to win even off his reassessed mark of 103 and the question here is who can finish second.

The value in this sort of situation is to side with those who chased him home last time, as they tend to be the first horses that bookmakers and punters put the line through.

A 5lb pull isn’t enough for either Invictus Gold or Coul Angel to turn the tables, but they should still run well under similar conditions, and I’m likely to split a forecast bet between the pair rather than back the favourite at odds-on.

2.20 Betfred Suffolk Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 1m 1f

I think Mister Winston is the likeliest of these to bag a big mile handicap in the summer months, and he’s a scopey sort who clearly benefited from another winter on his back/being gelded when winning over a mile here last month.

The worry is that he apparently failed to stay this trip in the Cambridgeshire last season, and isn’t bred for trips in excess of a mile, which could leave him vulnerable for all he retains a progressive profile.

Instead of chancing his stamina here, I’ll row in with the proven staying power of Alcarath, who posted a smart time for the class when a wide-margin winner over a mile and a quarter at Epsom in September.

Perhaps the run came too soon for him when a bit below that form on his handicap debut at Redcar five weeks later, but I don’t find it hard to forgive a run at that stage of the season, and he was far from disgraced in any case.

Unexposed after just a handful of runs and looking well treated on the Epsom effort, he’s the type to do better still as a four-year-old and is unlikely to lack for fitness coming from the Alan King yard, which has a win and four places from seven turf runners this term.

2.55 HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes (Group 3) 5f

The pace will be strong in the Palace House with Quinault likely to blaze a trail in the centre of the course, and I’d not be at all surprised to see Rumstar back to form in a race he won last year. Jonny Portman’s stable star has gained two of his three group wins at this track and clearly goes well under these conditions, so makes plenty of appeal for a stable that has started the turf season very well.

The other horse I’d like to have on side at the prices is Shagraan, who showed improved form to bag a brace of listed races at Beverley and Ascot in the autumn and who may do better again having joined the stable of Clive Cox since last term.

The son of Sioux Nation tends to finish off strongly at this trip and is well worth his place at this level. He should be at his physical peak now he’s turned five and he’s well drawn to track Quinault through the race before launching a late challenge.

3.35 Betfred 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) 1m

There are two unexposed colts in the Guineas that I believe are capable of much better than they’ve shown and I’m happy to split my stakes between them in what looks a race without an obvious miling superstar.

Into The Sky may end up proving best short of a mile, but he looked a hugely exciting talent when winning over six and a half furlongs on debut at Newbury, despite odds of 80/1.

He proved that was no fluke when a close second to Words Of Truth in the Mill Reef Stakes on his only other start, again looking to have a huge engine, but spoiling his winning chance by hanging towards the centre of the course when hitting the front, a remnant of greenness from one who clearly needed educating as a juvenile.

The plan is clearly to treat him like a top-class miler until proven otherwise, and he has entries in the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes, as well as the Commonwealth Cup.

He clearly possesses speed in abundance and is bred along sprinting lines, but is worth a chance to prove he can stay here. Sure to stay a mile is Greenham fourth Needle Match, who is the least exposed in the field having won a Newbury maiden on his debut last October. It goes without saying that he needs to improve to get involved here, but I loved the battling attitude he showed first time up and he was going on nicely at the finish of the Greenham, despite still looking in need of the experience.

The concern with him is that he might need a little more time to fulfil his potential, but he does appeal as having a lot more to offer and is crying out for a mile based on the way he finished at Newbury.

Goodwood Saturday

1.30 Fitzdares Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 6f

I thought Fitzella shaped really well on her return in the Nell Gwyn, doing plenty on the front end and failing to last out the stiff seven furlongs as a result. She does get that trip when stamina isn’t at a premium, but a drop to six furlongs looks ideal on the back of that, and she looks to have a little too much class for her rivals in a run-of-the-mill listed contest.

2.05 Fitzdares Conqueror Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) 1m

There isn’t a great deal between Blue Bolt and She’s Perfect on ratings, but the latter looks physically the more likely to keep progressing and she ran her best race last term on her final start when runner-up in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

That is a better effort than She’s Perfect’s French Guineas effort when she was demoted after finishing first past the post. On that basis, I’d have Blue Bolt a shade of odds-on here and, if she isn’t in need of the run, she is sure to take all the beating.

Newmarket Sunday

3.35 Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) 1m

There may or not be a superstar in the 2000 Guineas, but the front three in the betting for the Fillies’ equivalent all look well up to standard and, while a draw in stall 1 could be a blessing or a curse, I’m banking on Venetian Sun fulfilling all the promise of her juvenile season, when she looked a filly of enormous potential.

Venetian Sun’s one defeat came in an unsatisfactory Moyglare Stud Stakes, where she was caught in a pocket and got racing room too late to throw down a challenge to Precise on ground that might well have been soft enough for her.

Her reputation may have suffered a small blow that day, but the victory of Gstaad in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was a reminder of how brilliant she was on her day.

She is simply too good not to aim at the 1000 Guineas and, while her pedigree is a speedy one, she was going on at the end of seven furlongs in the Moyglare and settles well enough behind the pace to think she can be fully effective at this trip on a sound surface.

Recommended:

Alcarath 2.20 Newmarket - 1pt win @ 10/1 (Ladbrokes, BetVictor; 9/1 general)

Rumstar 2.55 Newmarket - 1pt win @ 13/2 (general)

Shagraan 2.55 Newmarket - 1pt win @ 12/1 (general)

Into The Sky 3.35 Newmarket - 1pt win @ 33/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral; 25/1 general)

Needle Match 3.35 Newmarket - 1pt e/w @ 16/1 (Bet365, BetVictor - 4 places)

Sunday

Venetian Sun 3.35 Newmarket - 1pt win @ 5/1 (general)