Saturday racing tips: Andy Ayres picks out his best bet for today’s racing while updating us on all the latest news from the tracks this week
Don't miss out on all the latest talk from the tracks as Andy Ayres discusses Archie Watson’s inform gelding and Hughie Morrison’s Melbourne Cup hopes
IT WAS definitely a case of age before beauty on the track this week.
Forget all the Group race shenanigans, man of the moment is Archie Watson’s Captain Lars who has hit a rich vein of form at the ripe old age of nine.
The bold Captain has run 22 times since being claimed by Archie at Lingfield in February and was winning his ninth race since then when bolting-up at Goodwood on Wednesday.
He looked healthier than a Sanatogen kid there and will almost certainly strike again before the leaves start to fall.
Lady Dancealot chalked another one up for the oldies in a hot 6f handicap on this card.
She was ridden by Gerald Mosse and trained by David Elsworth who boast a calculator-busting combined age of 129!
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Hughie Morrison’s veteran Nearly Caught picked-up a Listed race at Newmarket on Thursday but the trainer only read it as a pointer toward the chance of his Melbourne Cup hope Marmelo, stating: “I’m glad to say Marmelo worked all over Nearly Caught on Saturday.
“Marmelo is a forgotten horse and definitely runs in the Melbourne Cup.
"We have won two races with him and the good thing is he is going to be weighted half a stone less. We are extremely happy with him.”
Hughie ‘The Toff’ isn’t often wide of the mark so the 25-1 currently on offer about Marmelo might represent a bit of each-way value.
There were a stack of odds-on jollies turned over this week – Sam Cooke (2-5), Swordbill (4-6) and Welsh Lord (1-2) were beaten in consecutive races at Lingfield on Tuesday – but the best bet of the lot delivered in style at Kempton on Thursday night.
San Donato (6-5 to 4-9) was the colt in question and judged by the way he rocketed home it’s a dollar to a dime that he is a Group horse in the making.
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The same could be true of John Gosden’s Mary Somerville who looked an unlucky loser at Kempton on Monday.
Only Keiran O’Neill can explain how he managed to get this filly beaten – he looked distinctly embarrassed when attempting to debrief Gosden Junior after the race – and she is nailed on to win something decent.
If that’s predictable then even Nostradamus must have been left scratching his bonce after those two old rascals Polybius and The Warrior won on consecutive days at the start of the week.
SATURDAY SELECTION
BEATBOXER (1.50 Newmarket) could not have been more impressive at Haydock last time and is ready for this step-up in class.
Victoria Beckham smiles more often than this pair get home in front and their connections deserve a medal for perseverance.
There is a feast of top class action at Newmarket today and Beatboxer can get the afternoon off to a flyer by winning the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes (1.50).
This colt is built like a heavyweight champ and hasn’t turned a hair when winning a couple of races in the minor leagues. He jumps up in class here but looks well up to the job.
