ITV Racing Tips on Tuesday, April 12th
The Flat season begins in earnest on Tuesday as Newmarket plays host to Day One of its often informative Craven Meeting, we have scoured through the action to provide our ITV4 tips for all four scheduled races. Check these out below, with our top tips providing extra selections on what promises to be an unmissable day of racing.
Bergerac (1.50 Newmarket, Weatherbys Bloodstock Pro Handicap) 7/1
The first thing to note when looking at this 6f handicap is that those held up have struggled historically. Since its inaugural renewal back in 2016, the winners’ in-running comments have read “prominent in main group”, “chased leader”, “tracked leaders”, “chased leader” and “tracked leaders”.
One horse that will almost certainly be up on the front end on Tuesday is BERGERAC, who unlike many of his rivals comes into this race fit having finished third at Southwell and Doncaster last month.
Bergerac was runner-up to the reopposing Popmaster at Doncaster last summer, but he’s 8lb better off with that rival here, so looks weighted to reverse the form, and first-time cheekpieces could unlock a small amount of improvement.
Bergerac’s main threat is expected to come from fellow prominent racer Gale Force Maya, who ended 2021 with a Listed second over course and distance. She has won fresh previously and her yard has sent out a turf winner already, but a mark of 98 is a career-high one, whereas the bigger priced Bergerac finds himself just a pound higher than when going in at York in September.
ITV Racing Tips. Kevin Ryan, Neil Callan and owner Angie Bailey can team up to victory on Newmarket’s Tuesday card.
New Science (2.25 Newmarket, bet365 European Free Handicap) 7/4
Hugo Palmer has already sent out a winner from his new Manor House base and runs Power Of Beauty here, who bumped into a subsequent Grade 1 winner on penultimate run. It was concerning to see him drop out so tamely at Haydock subsequently, however, and he’s had the cruellest cut since then.
Tacarib Bay has it all to prove on good ground (withdrawn on this surface previously), whilst Honey Sweet appears to be on a high enough mark back against the boys.
The market, therefore, has got this right with NEW SCIENCE favoured to get the better of second-favourite Ribhi.
Charlie Appleby’s colt is by Lope De Vega but unlike most of that progeny doesn’t go a tap on soft ground, as shown by his soft ground Chesham Stakes defeat last season. New Science bounced back to land Listed honours next time out, however, and that form is by far the strongest on offer, with the runner-up Angel Bleu now a dual Group 1 winner and the second, Cachet a 2/1F for the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes later on this card (3:35pm)
On that form, New Science looks well treated off a mark of 108 and he is the only runner in this line-up with a recent run to his name, having had a pipe-opener in Dubai earlier this year. Connections have used that as an avenue to success at this meeting down the years, and New Science can continue that trend with victory on Tuesday.
Master Of The Seas (3.00 Newmarket, bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes) 6/5
Although a lack of pace is a notable concern for backers of MASTER OF THE SEAS, particularly with the hood removed once again, he has been gelded since disappointing in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II on Champions Day and if that irons out some of his kinks he should prove very difficult to beat dropped into Group 3 company here.
This son of Dubawi was beaten a short head in the 2000 Guineas last season and brought his form figures on the Rowley Mile to an impressive 1123 when beaten just over a length in the Group 2 Joel Stakes here in October.
Winner of the Craven at this meeting last season, there appears every chance that Master Of The Seas has had this in mind for a season starting point, and as such he is unlikely to be turning up for a day out.
Chichester will hopefully go forward here and ensure this isn’t run at a crawl but there is also a chance that Megallan takes it up under Frankie Dettori. Last year’s Dante second rates as the main danger to the selection but it’s a slight concern that his stable hasn’t really hit the ground running with their turf runners up to now.
ITV Racing Tips. Last year’s 2000 Guineas runner-up Master Of The Seas looks tough to oppose dropped into Group 3 company.
Romantic Time (3.35 Newmarket, Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes) 16/1
Cachet and Hello You clashed a few times last season, with just under a length separating the pair in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November. Hello You must now concede 3lb to that rival, and to her remaining seven rivals, but David Loughnane’s charge shouldn’t be discounted – particularly if managing to settle a little better on her first start at three.
With Cachet and Hello You expected to set a good clip upfront here, this could set things up for something finishing strongly from off the pace, and one that fits that criteria is ROMANTIC TIME.
William Stone’s filly did the majority of her racing last season over sprint trips, disappointing on her sole start over 7f when held in the Rockfel over course and distance in September. She had possible excuses for that showing, however, having raced nearer to the far rail than the majority of the field, and it may have just proven one race too many on the back of a busy 2yo campaign.
Romantic Time looks better judged on her penultimate Salisbury Group 3 success, which came in the often informative 6f Dick Poole Stakes. Romantic Time showed a sharp turn of foot to score that day having looked a little outpaced early on, and that run suggested that going up in trip would suit. Her pedigree adds weight to that theory, with Romantic Time a Time Test filly out of a mare that was placed at up to 1m4f.
It was promising to see William Stone send out a turf winner at Leicester earlier this month, and he rarely tilts at windmills with his horses, so expect Romantic Time to have been tuned up for this on reappearance.
Lighter raced fillies have done well in the Nell Gwyn in recent years and therefore course and distance winner Ribbon Rose is worth a second glance coming into this with an unblemished 2-2 record, but this does represent a huge step up in class.