Market Rasen Saturday
2:10 Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle 2m 125yd
James Owen has an excellent record in this race, winning it in 2023 with Too Friendly and again last year with Cavern Club.
It’s intriguing that he’s sourced High Fibre for this year’s renewal and the ex-Harry Fry inmate is ideally suited by a sharp, right-handed track over hurdles, winning at Kempton in March and going close off his revised mark at Ludlow a week later.
A useful sort at his best on the flat, he’s exactly the type that Owen does so well with and warmed up for this with a good third at York eight days ago, proving his fitness for this task in the process. Summer ground is ideal, and the fitting of a visor for the first time looks a significant move.
Owen and Sean Bowen struck at this meeting last year with Greenrock Abbey, who also wore a first-time visor having previously raced in cheekpieces and High Fibre, who raced without any headgear at York, is expected to improve for the visor based on the trainer’s record in recent years, with horses from the Owen yard winning at a strike-rate of over 27% when visored for the first time.
2:45 Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase 2m 5f 89yd
Soul Icon was an excellent second in this race in 2024 and has dropped to a workable mark after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign when often raced over further than ideal.
Excluding runs over the Grand National fences, his chase record on good or yielding ground at up to two and three-quarter miles reads 3222212, whereas his record at three miles or further on similar ground is U45.
He’s not taken to Aintree in a couple of tries in the Topham, but has conditions that suit now and is 2lb lower in the weights than when winning the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton in December 2024.
The booking of Harry Cobden suggests this has been a long-term plan and while the rail movements are not ideal in terms of the distance the runners will have to cover here, I’d be hopeful that Soul Icon will be able to return to the form that saw him beaten just a neck here two years ago.
Newbury Saturday
1:55 BetVictor Steventon Stakes (Listed) 1m 2f
Persica is capable of winning in group company, as he’s shown in the Diomed Stakes at Epsom in previous seasons and he bounced back to form when second over this trip at Sandown last time behind Sallaal.
He can be relied upon to run his race at this level and makes most appeal in a race that doesn’t set the pulse racing.
2:25 Pertemps Network Handicap 2m 110yd
Almuhit may have been beaten by Baileys Khelstar over course and distance last month, but that was his first defeat in three handicap starts on the level here; he is now 7lb better off with his conqueror for two and three-quarter lengths and that should be enough to see him turn the tables. Baileys Khelstar has won narrowly at Kempton since but barely needed to improve to do so and may now be vulnerable from a career-high mark of 84.
Almuhit is able to race off a lower mark than for his most recent course and distance win and his proven ability to handle the conditions makes him hard to oppose with his stable remaining in excellent form.
3:02 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes (Group 3) 6f
Soldier’s Tree is fancied to give James Owen an across-the-card double if all goes to plan. The son of Soldier’s Call is lightly raced for his age and is progressing well at the age of five, winning at Dundalk in January and placed in listed company at Cork for Matty Tynan before joining Owen.
Soldier’s Tree has progressed markedly in his short time with his new yard, finishing third to subsequent Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Almeraq at Salisbury and then running a blinder to be third to Double Rush in the Wokingham off a mark of 107.
On that evidence, he is well up to winning at Group 3 level and can prove the point here.
3:37 Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes 5f 34yd
The draw is a crucial factor in the Super Sprint, which is pretty much the only big-field contest run over the trip at Newbury all year, so we have previous runnings as our sole guide.
Timeform suggest that high numbers are unfavoured but that isn’t borne out by the results. Stalls 10 and 16 are the only berths that have produced multiple wins and places so if there is a bias here it’s likely to be middle to high, and neither the far nor bear-side rail tend to come into the equation when the stalls are in the centre as they usually are in recent years.
Richard Hannon has an excellent record and From Me To You has been the subject of an early gamble, but while he may well be better than his bare form, he has yet to trouble the judge in three runs and must concede weight to all his rivals so needs to improve markedly to get involved.
The money suggests he may do that, but I would prefer to side with Etienne, who shaped really well when just failing in a Newmarket novice last month on what was his racecourse bow.
A son of his owner’s Rajasinghe, he was a cheap purchase which means he has little weight to carry here, but he looks a useful performer and trainer Richard Spencer has a deft touch with his sprinters, so there is plenty to recommend Etienne, who looks positively drawn in stall 15.
Recommended:
High Fibre 2:10 Market Rasen – 1pt e/w @ 11/1 (general – 4 places)
Soul Icon 2:45 Market Rasen – 1pt e/w @ 7/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral – 1/4 odds 1,2,3)
Soldier’s Tree 3:02 Newbury – 2pts win @ 11/4 (general)
Etienne 3:37 Newbury – 2pts win @ 11/2 (general)