ITV Racing Tips: Relief Rally should be too quick for Super Sprint rivals
Jump action returns to the terrestrial TV schedule today but the rest of the line-up is Flat focused.
The Summer Plate from Market Rasen is the jumps feature on a day when the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, where Frankie Dettori returns after serving 17 days of bans, is the main British race and the Irish Oaks takes place.
Each race has a familiar narrative. Frencky Du Berlais bids for a third win in a row in the Plate, Richard Hannon’s stable goes for a 12th victory in the Super Sprint and Aidan O’Brien seeks a record seventh success in the Curragh Classic.
The eight-race schedule from Newbury, Market Rasen and the Curragh kicks off at 13:20 on ITV and we have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
Frencky Du Berlais goes for a hat-trick of wins in this race and last month’s third over the course in the Trial, his first run since the Grand National, suggests he will be primed to run a huge race.
Peter Bowen is mustard in this race and his other challenger Courtland, winner of his last three, can’t be discounted either.
There are plenty of in-form challengers and perhaps the better value is Born Famous, who runs off a 5lb penalty under Harry Cobden after taking his score to four in a row with a 17-length win on Monday.
Richard Hannon loves winning the race his father helped create and this year will be no different as he saddles seven runners. He could miss out this time with Relief Rally, trained by William Haggas, the outstanding candidate.
The Kodiac filly has won two out of three and is so nearly unbeaten after going down by a nose in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
She was probably on the wrong part of the track and when she began her challenge, she had to come around the US filly Crimson Advocate. She can get back to winning ways in this lesser grade.
Aidan O’Brien needs one more win to become the most successful trainer in the race outright, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone to stop him. He has the first two in the betting and trains four of the eight runners.
Ribblesdale Stakes third Bluestocking is the filly he could have most to fear from, but she lacks the big race experience of Savethelastdance, the Oaks third who will be ridden by Ryan Moore.
Back in May she won the Cheshire Oaks by 22 lengths when the ground was soft and she gets those conditions again at the Curragh, which should see her edge the private battle with stablemate and Ribblesdale winner Warm Heart.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday, 22nd July
13:50 Newbury – Steventon Stakes
14:05 Market Rasen – 2m4f handicap hurdle
14:25 Newbury – 2m handicap
14:40 Market Rasen – Summer Hurdle
15:00 Newbury – Hackwood Stakes
15:15 Market Rasen – Summer Plate
15:35 Newbury – Super Sprint
15:45 Curragh – Irish Oaks
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
