ITV Racing Tips: Saturday double for Summer Plate Ladies Day at Market Rasen

Flying Fortune, 1pt E/W, 9/2, 4 places

This is a competitive-looking contest, but history suggests the Summer Plate card often sees the Bowen team do well, and they have a good chance of adding to their impressive statistics here with the improving FLYING FORTUNE (best price 9/2).

This unexposed five-year-old twice succeeded in bumpers, and she shaped promisingly last time out when second to Gale Mahler at Uttoxeter in a novices’ hurdle race. The winner was completing a four-timer at the time and is the odds-on favourite for the opener. 

Last year in February, she finished a creditable fourth in an above-average Listed bumper race at this course behind Dysart Enos and Queens Gamble, and that piece of form has been boosted multiple times since. 

On her seasonal reappearance this season, she came close to winning over this trip on her handicap debut at Southwell when beaten only a half-length into second, and she’s open to far more improvement than most of these.

She’s a strong traveller and will be suited to the pace of this race with the conditions to suit. The combination of her form, rating, stable’s good record here, and having just her second handicap start makes her a huge candidate for top honours. 

Take the four places for cover.

Chaos Control, 1pt E/W, 12/1, 5 places

Stuart Edmonds has an impressive 24% strike rate here in the last five seasons (8-34) and his only runner on the card, CHAOS CONTROL (best price 12/1) makes plenty of appeal.

This five-year-old achieved a good level of form on the Flat and won with a bit more up his sleeve than the winning half-length margin suggested when scoring here last time out. 

Although this is a deeper race, a 3lb rise seems very fair on the balance of his latest performance, and he has more to come. With various firms paying five places, he is a standout choice.

Nayati, 0.5 pts E/W, 12/1, 4 places

Despite Flying Fortune being my main selection in the race for the ITV Double, I cannot let NAYATI (best price 12/1) go unnoticed, as despite his two starts this season proving a disappointment, the ten-year-old is sitting on a very dangerous mark. 

Donald McCain’s charge will find this race a lot easier than the one he contested at Cartmel last time out and can find himself competing off an 11lb lower mark than when he scored at a higher level at Musselburgh last year.

His only previous outing over this trip saw him finish third of four runners at Kelso in 2019, but he appeared to stay the trip well and scored comfortably over 2m3f on testing ground at Bangor in November 2022.

That win was also in a higher grade off a 6lb higher mark, so he’s extremely well-treated at present. In addition, he finished a respectable seventh of 15 off an 8lb higher figure on this card five years ago when contesting the Summer Hurdle. 

He is probably the best handicapped horse in the field, and having established himself as a horse who can advance his form to a higher level, there’s every chance of seeing him make a serious impact on these compatible terms.

Four places on offer.

Naqeeb, 1pt E/W, 11/2

The Mettal UK Handicap has a spicy look about it, but being closely related to top-class pair Baaeed and Hukum as well as making the frame in pattern-class company, there’s optimism towards the credentials of NAQEEB (best price 11/2). 

Twice a winner last year, including an easy success on his handicap debut at Haydock off a mark of 100, this son of Nathaniel has been highly tried for a while now. Having been expected to beat Middle Earth in a Listed race at Ayr on his final run of the campaign, he could only finish third but still shaped quite well in defeat. 

He then reappeared with a solid close-up third in a Group 2 race at Newmarket, where he was mixing with horses rated in the high 100s, and he came out of that contest with the utmost credit in my eyes. He failed to build on that when he was last of six in the Yorkshire Cup next time out, but that was a tough race.

Desperately unlucky not to finish closer in the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot last time out, Haggas’s charge might not have won, but he would have been in the frame had he encountered a smooth passage.

Held up in rear, he was beginning to build up a head of steam until the door was slammed in his face for pretty much the last two furlongs or so. 

Despite only finishing 12th, his performance was worth an upgrade, and the assessor has left his mark unchanged here. That was just his second start in a handicap, and being open to further improvement stepping up to two miles, I’m fairly confident that he will prove quite hard to beat.

Regional, 1pt WIN, 5/2

REGIONAL (best price 5/2) isn’t as strong in the market as I assumed, but that just makes him even more of a bet at the odds because his best form would surely be too good for these. 

Last season’s Group 1 Sprint Cup winner only found one too good in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last time out and will be suited to the return to this trip at this lower level. 

The drying ground will be right up his street, and there’s every possibility that he hasn’t finished improving either. He can confirm his superiority over these, including Lake Forest.

Vintage Fizz, 0.5 pts E/W, 16/1, 5 places

The Summer Plate looks like it could be a cracker, and I’m drawn to the claims of VINTAGE FIZZ (best price 16/1), who came within whiskers of landing a C&D trial race last month when a neck-second and is only 3lb higher despite this being harder. 

This largely consistent seven-year-old has a tendency to jump to the left at his obstacles, which has ultimately cost him a few races to date, including last time. However, there’s no disputing his ability, and I assume he will come on for that latest run, which was only his second start this year. 

His two efforts this year have been decent, and this has seemingly been the plan for some time. The bigger field might help keep his mind on the job more, and if it does, I’ll be slightly surprised if he wasn’t in the frame. Five places are generally available.

Soul Icon, 0.5 pts E/W, 8/1, 5 places

SOUL ICON (best price 8/1) has taken well to fences, knocking on the door in three of his completed starts, and his prominent style of racing could see him to good effect when navigating this course.

He does have to deal with a 3lb higher figure than when he was runner-up at Aintree last time out, but he is improving run-by-run in this sphere, and connections have appointed Tom Bellamy to keep the ride. 
It’s going to be tough for him to open his account in this sphere in such a fiercely competitive race, but his attractive profile and accurate jumping technique could potentially see him turn in a career-best effort. 

Whether that’s enough to succeed, only time will tell, but we don’t know where the ceiling of his ability lies in this code, so he can be supported with various firms paying five places. 

Time For Sandals, 1pt WIN, 6/1

Richard Kingscote and Harry Eustace teamed up to finish third in this race last year with Payment In Kind, and they could go two places better this time with TIME FOR SANDALS (best price 6/1).
She made a winning debut over six furlongs at Kempton, and although she endured traffic problems on more than one occasion, I liked the way she quickened up without being asked for maximum efforts to score by a head. 

With a clear run, she would have been even more impressive, and it’s fascinating to see her line up in this warm contest on her first go on the turf. That must speak volumes as to how highly her handler rates her. 
I would have preferred to see her drawn high, but she could be very classy based on her debut performance. She has plenty of speed and is proven over further, so the 5f trip should be of no concern. 

She has been well-found in the market, but I really like her chances. A much easier opportunity could have been found elsewhere, so with the prospect of more to come, she gets my vote. 

Vingegaard, 1pt WIN, 5/1

Archie Watson has a good record in this race, and there’s plenty to like about his VINGEGAARD (best price 5/1) who could go well under the retained services of Hollie Doyle.

An easy winner on debut at Chepstow on testing ground, he was then upped in grade to contest the Windsor Castle Stakes and did well to finish fifth. 

At one stage in that contest, it appeared as though he was going to win when he shot the front until he was caught towards the finish and was eventually run out of the places. 

However, he did do second best of those who raced on the far side of the track, and this course, which is more emphasis on speed, should play to his strengths. 

He isn’t drawn high either, but he’s promising and has to be respected based on the fact that Archie Watson won this race two years ago. I think he has an excellent chance.