ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Each-Way Double for Sandown

SILENT FILM (best price 12/1) could silence his rivals in the Coral Challenge. Once touted to be a potential 2000 Guineas candidate, he did very well when formerly-trained by Charlie Appleby, winning three times and his only previous start at this course resulted with a smooth success when beating Run For Freedom by a comfortable three-parts-of-a-length. 

The runner-up is now rated 113 and was last seen finishing midfield in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. On a strict reading of that piece form, this lightly-raced participant has a touch of class about him and his neck second of 16 at Ascot last year is good form too, as he was only denied by a neck to Fresh and that came off a mark of 100. 

He wasn’t in the same form the next two times but ran well in both his starts in Meydan this year when third and fifth and there was a lot to like about his eighth of 29 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on his stable debut for Ian Williams last-time-out. Despite being sent off 80/1, classified as one of the outsiders of the field, he travelled very well and was one of the last horses off the bridle. 

He was trying to mount a challenge two furlongs out when still yet to be asked for maximum efforts but was unfortunately short of room and was forced to wait for a gap to appear. He picked up strongly once he finally got into the clear and his performance can be marked up quite considerably, as the first six home were all racing on a more favourable side of the course. 

The assessor has interestingly dropped his mark a pound, so he’s effectively a pound lower than his narrow defeat at Ascot last year and the booking of William Buick is very positive to say the least. I have a gut instinct he will run a very big race now back up to a mile with five places generously and widely available. He makes plenty of each-way appeal in a race that has probably been his main aim since joining this shrewd yard. 

In the Listed Coral Distaff, a race for Fillies’, I really like the price about CELL SA BEELA (best price 10/1) who likewise to the former, really caught the eye at Royal Ascot and could be set to feature heavily in the outcome with Jim Crowley an interesting addition to the saddle. 

Roger Varian’s three-year-old ran well enough on her debut when third and then opened her account in good style at Beverley. That form isn’t strong but she was then highly-tried in the Group 2 in the May Hill and finished a creditable fourth, beaten around five lengths. 

Her next start came in another Group 2, the Rockfel Stakes, and although she was well beaten, there were positives to glean from her seasonal return in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot. Despite being sent off an overlooked 100/1, she ran way above market expectations, finishing 11th of 29, shaping like the best horse in the race. 

She went through the race as the most likely winner, as she cruised through the pack on the far side of the course and just about hit the front a furlong out on the bridle before a lack of peak fitness clearly told when asked to win her race, where she could only keep on at the one pace in the latter stages. 

Herself and Magical Sunset were the only ones able to make some sort of a challenge on the far side of the course, respectively winning their side of the track at the line. Adding to this, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in the race were all drawn in a double-figure number and she was drawn in nine plus it was her first start in nine months.

With that in mind, she is entitled to be fitter now and has possibilities of reversing the form with Richard Hannon’s runner in spite of being worse off at the weights. With most firms offering five places and this course sure to play to her strengths with more to offer after just five starts, she’s a standout each-way bet at generous odds. 

Extra ITV Tips

The Charlie Hills-trained EQUILATERAL (best price 13/2) was desperately unlucky not to go very close to winning this contest twelve months ago, where he failed to get a clear passage at practically every stage of the race before flying late once in the clear to be sixth. He was only beaten a couple of lengths at the line and I have a strong inclination that he would have won otherwise, the replay will back this up as well. 

Not only that, he has finished fifth in the Group 1 King’s Stand for the last two years, including last-time-out when faring second best of those drawn low, as the only other runner that was drawn low was the winner Bradsell. In addition, he has already placed in various Listed/Group events this year and Jamie Spencer takes the ride this time. The eight-year-old has conditions to suit and deserves a change in fortune, so he’s a strong each-way fancy in the ITV opener. 

I have quite a strong view about a couple of runners in the bet365 Handicap. Sir Mark Prescott’s only runner on the card is the improving PLEDGEOFALLEGIANCE (best price 6/1) who goes in search of a hat-trick of wins and has plenty more to come. 

Since being switched to the turf, with the cheekpieces fitted and going up in distance, he’s two-from-two and stayed every inch of this trip well last-time-out when scoring with plenty up his sleeve. He is up in class but clearly has stamina in abundance and could be equal to the task ahead. He should be a clear favourite. 

Andrew Balding’s TORRE DEL ORO (best price 20/1) was well-held in a tough race at York’s Dante Festival but he still has a lot of time on his side and it’s possible the step up in distance will bring about improvement. 

After all, he did bolt up over 1m4f at Wolverhampton, though that was on the all-weather against pretty moderate opponents. He looked better the further he went in that win mind, while his back-to-back fourth placed efforts before that read well. He’s an outsider worth considering, each-way, with four places widely on offer. 

In the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks, I was very close to nominating Aristia but she ran a stinker on her return and the odds about Karl Burke’s POPTRONIC (best price 16/1) is just too juicy to dismiss. 

This daughter of the high-class Nathaniel won three on the bounce, including a Group 3 at Newcastle and has run well to make the frame in Group 2/3 events the last two times, which is a good piece of form. 

She’s extremely consistent and doesn’t have as much to find with a few of these as the ratings suggest. From an each-way stance, she’s the standout bet in the race as the bookmakers have majorly underestimated her chances, which is usually the case. 

The bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap always has a competitive look to it but last year’s third GAASSEE (best price 14/1) has no doubt been aimed at the race again and must enter calculations from this reduced mark. William Haggas also runs La Yakel, who sports the same owners' silks, but the former was sent off favourite for this race last year and was unlucky not to win after not getting clear daylight. 

He had to wait an age for a gap to appear and couldn’t lay down a challenge in time to catch the front pair. His three runs since haven’t matched up to that display but he’s now two pounds lower than when he was third last year in this, plus Adam Farragher can offer a further three pounds. If you take his claim into account, he’s actually five pounds lower. The five-year-old makes quite a lot of appeal with most firms going five places. 

The other one I like is Brian Ellison’s ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (best price 10/1) who I know hasn’t won for a while but is dangerously well-handicapped off this mark and has shaped very well in his last two runs, including over course-and-distance last time when fourth. He was a close-up third over this distance in the Shergar Cup Challenge last summer off a mark of 95 and is three pounds lower here. 

Clearly, he has taken a step back in the right direction of late with his two nearest the finish efforts and his outside draw shouldn’t inconvenience his chances either, as he’s likely to be dropped in. If he gets going at the right time, he should have the ammunition at his disposal to run a huge race with five places widely available.