After bagging a 6/1 winner and a 9/1 place yesterday, Liam Firkin selects his two best bets for the racing at Newmarket.
157 Grosser Preis Von Baden HandicapSee All Odds
13:15 – NEWMARKET
ROACH POWER – 0.5 Pts EW @ 10/1
A horse who is still in a lower class of race since his outing at Haydock two starts ago could go better today back at a venue that has seen him score in the past.
I am relying on that prior course and distance form serving him well on the Rowley Mile track having not been overwhelmingly impressive so far this season. However, he does line up with an attractive handicap mark based on what he achieved towards the end of his 2025 campaign. A three-time winner off marks of 69, 74 & 79 would suggest that he can be competitive again off his rating of 68 today with the last of those victories coming in last year’s renewal of this contest.
His only other visit to Newmarket was on the July course where he was second of six runners in a small field affair which has made this some happy hunting ground for ROACH POWER. There are concerns that he could just be regressing but I am happy to take the chance that a return to Newmarket, off 10lbs lower than last year can see him to better effect and we are getting a nice double figure price to find out.
Munich's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis HandicapSee All Odds
14:55 – NEWMARKET
BE FRANK – 0.5 Pts EW @ 8/1 (4 Places)
Another horse who has tasted success here is BE FRANK for Ian Williams who was a winner on reappearance in 2025 when running out an easy winner at this course. That success came off an official rating that was 6lbs higher than the mark he brings into today’s race with a further 3lbs taken off in the saddle by Ryan Kavanagh.
His recent runs on the all weather have been more encouraging although he is not seen to best effect on that surface with a record of 0 from 6. Those efforts have seen him tumble down the handicap by a further 3lbs, and he now returns to turf where he is running in a Class 5 for the first time, on this surface, so far this season.
BE FRANK can be a quirky sort and one who’s stubborn nature can lead to him not taking part in these contests as we have seen on a few occasions this season, but should he be cooperative today then he can run a much better race than his odds suggest.
