ITV Racing brings us seven intriguing races from Newbury and Newmarket on Saturday, headlined by the London Gold Cup (3.00) and the Group 1 Lockinge (3.35) from the Berkshire circuit.
A prolific top-flight scorer is expected to add to her tally in the feature race, while a course and distance winner back to their last winning mark and a son aiming to emulate a training feat achieved by his father round out our best bets.
ITV Racing Tips – Saturday May 18
2.40 Newmarket – Rainbow Fire to win @ 8/1
3.00 Newbury – King’s Gambit to win @ 4/1
3.35 Newbury – Inspiral to win @ 2/1
Bet on the latest horse racing odds at Betzone
Rainbow can fire on last winning mark back on the Rowley Mile
The 7f trustatrader.com Handicap (Newmarket – 2.40) looks a competitive 15-runner affair in which likely favourite Divine Libra is just one of a host in with big chances alongside the prolific Quinault.
However, that pair are passed over in favour of course and distance scorer RAINBOW FIRE, who is back down to his last winning mark and likely to encounter the good ground that has accompanied both of his career successes to date.
Largely campaigned over a mile since his most recent victory came over 7f at Haydock last April, he also returns to the distance at which he’s achieved both his wins. Off the back of a good third at the Merseyside track last time out Marco Botti’s six-year-old is expected to be a serious threat.
Tip: 2.40 Newmarket – Rainbow Fire to win @ 8/1
Buick booking adds strength to Charlton’s Gold Cup Gambit
The London Gold Cup (Newbury – 3.00) is always a great race to follow having been won by future Group 1 winners like Bay Bridge and Al Kazeem in recent times, as well as a host of subsequent Group 2 scorers.
Harry Charlton’s father Roger trained the latter and Charlton junior could hardly be making it any more obvious that this contest has been the long-term target for his KING’S GAMBIT.
The son of 2018’s 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior raced three times as a juvenile, with all three outings coming at Newbury and the yard wasted no time in acquiring the services of champion jockey William Buick for their horse early this week.
Buick’s mount has the third highest official rating in the field despite being one of the more inexperienced colts in the field. More improvement should certainly be forthcoming and he can follow in the hoofsteps of his illustrious stable forebear by taking the laurels here.
Tip: 3.00 Newbury – King’s Gambit to win @ 4/1
Gosden filly can come out on top against French challenger again
French raider Big Rock is 7lbs clear of the field on official ratings in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes (Newbury 3.35), but he’s still willingly opposed with John Gosden’s INSPIRAL.
Big Rock’s lofty mark is testament to his destructive front-running victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on soft ground at Ascot’s Champions Day fixture at the back of the 2023 campaign.
However, that meeting often throws up some quirky results and the race was far from the strongest of top-flight miles contested last season on either side of the channel.
Earlier in the same campaign Inspiral had lowered Big Rock’s colours in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois despite giving the younger colt 3lbs in weight. This time around its the mare that receives that weight concession.
The expected good ground should be more than acceptable to the dual open company G1 winner and she’s fully capable of coming out on top against a rival who has moved yards since his last outing.
Yard form must be a question mark for new handler Maurizio Guarnieri’s operation at present – they’re 0/14 in the last fortnight at the time of writing and only two of those runners even made the top three.
