ITV Racing Tips – Previews & Selections for All Seven Wednesday Races

ITV Racing Tips on Wednesday, April 13th

There is a bumper midweek’s racing on Wednesday as Newmarket plays host to Day Two of its Craven Meeting and Cheltenham shadowing with an excellent Jumps card, we have scoured through the action to provide our ITV4 tips for all seven scheduled races. Check these out below, with our top tips providing extra selections on what promises to be an unmissable day of racing.

---

Enshrine (1.15 Newmarket, Rossdales Maiden Fillies’ Stakes) 7/2

A tricky opener to the terrestrial action with Ameynah probably the one to beat having finished runner-up over course and distance last October.

She doesn’t appear to set a particularly unachievable standard, however, and it could instead pay to chance one of the well-bred newcomers to be ready to go on racecourse debut, with ENSHRINE favoured.

William Haggas’s filly is by Ulysses and just the second foal out of Sacre Caroline, whose first foal was Sacred, winner of the Group 3 Nell Gwyn at this meeting 12 months ago. If Enshrine has even a small amount of her half-sister’s ability then she looks set to go close here, representing connections that are no strangers to readying one first time out.

---

Captain Morgs (1.30 Cheltenham, Kingston Stud Handicap Hurdle) 13/2

Current market leader Bold Plan comes here bidding for a hat-trick but good ground is a concern and his yard is 0-37 with their hurdlers at this track in recent seasons. Sizable Sam jumps right which is a big worry here, Mongol Emperor has stamina to prove and looks a little quirky whilst Whatsupwithyou failed to convert in a weaker race at Fontwell last time.

The remainder of the field are all 13/2 or greater but Romeo Brown has not managed to follow one win up with another in a 32-race career to date, Champagne Well must bounce back from a modest chase run, Chapmanshype hasn’t been seen since October, and it was a little concerning to see Straw Fan Jack come close to refusing at Newbury last time.

That leaves CAPTAIN MORGS, who admittedly has questions to answer himself having finished a beaten favourite at Kempton when last seen back in December. That run came on genuinely soft ground, however, and he looks a horse far better suited to a sounder surface, a statement supported by the 6yo’s good ground Ascot victory back in November.

On his start prior to that, Captain Morgs had finished third over the old course here, and that looks like a sparkling piece of form with the winner subsequently going in at Grade 2 level and the second winning at last month’s Cheltenham Festival. That suggests Captain Morgs’ current mark of 131 looks workable, and he remains open to improvement over middle distances.

---

Loves Me Likearock (1.50 Newmarket, bet365 Handicap) 10/1

George Boughey’s Pocket The Profit comes into this 5lb well-in for last week’s Pontefract success, but he has it to prove on this quicker surface, having gained all three wins to date with cut in the ground.

Tolstoy is classy but is another that has done his winning on an easier surface, so Dig Two is favoured of those towards the top of the market, having been gelded and given wind surgery since last seen.

It might just pay to chance something at a bigger price here, however, with both Princess Shabnam and LOVES ME LIKEAROCK interesting.

Slight preference goes to the latter, who was a dual winner in novice company last season, showcasing a potent turn of foot when scoring at Lingfield in August. Loves Me Likearock was far from disgraced when fifth in the Listed Bosra Sham over course and distance on her final start of 2021, only giving best late on having performed front running duties under Frankie Dettori.

Despite that smart 2yo form, Loves Me Likearock is bred to improve with racing, being out of a dam in Love On The Rocks that produced her best form as a 4yo, with her pedigree also including Group 1 winning sprinter G Force. She represents a yard that has made a flying start to the season and a mark of 87 looks unlikely to prove the ceiling of her ability, so at a double-figure price, she rates the one to be with.

---

Stolen Silver (2.05 Cheltenham, Matt Hampson Foundation Silver Trophy Handicap Chase) 4/1

Coole Cody took the Plate last month and is folly to dismiss at his favourite track, but with an 8lb weight swing to his advantage and the better ground a notable plus, Festival fourth STOLEN SILVER is backed to reverse the form and land the spoils.

This 7yo has done well since joining the Sam Thomas yard, making all to score at Market Rasen in October and looking unfortunate not to follow up here afterwards when staying on strongly over the 2m trip to finish second to the classy Editeur Du Gite.

Stolen Silver remains relatively unexposed over this intermediate distance, and if his jumping can improve slightly back on this better surface then he looks sure to put up a good account.

Last year’s winner Manofthemountain shouldn’t be discounted despite finding himself on a 5lb higher mark, whilst Amoola Gold is also interesting, for all that he tends to save his best form for Ascot nowadays.

---

State Event (2.25 Newmarket, bet365 Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes) 6/1

The market is always worth a second glance in the Wood Ditton, where not one of the runners has previous race experience. It is, therefore, always advised to tread carefully in this event, but Godolphin tends to target the contest and they have a pair of strong contenders here in Secret State and STATE EVENT.

Secret State may run in the owner’s first colours, but preference goes to his bigger priced stablemate, who is from a family that connections know well, being the sixth foal out of three-time Group 1 winner (1000 Guineas, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks) Blue Bunting.

State Event’s half-brother Blue Creek was a winner on debut, and at the prices, State Event can be backed to match that feat on Wednesday afternoon.

---

Jumby (3.00 Newmarket, Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes) 5/1

Ebro River is the highest rated in the field and receives a healthy weight for age allowance off the majority of his rivals, so looks like a definite player, for all that he will need to settle better than he did at times as a juvenile, particularly if reverting back to hold up tactics under Jamie Spencer.

Bellosa is a player back at Newmarket (currently 2-2 on the Rowley Mile), but if she goes forward and sets a strong pace back at this trip it could set things up for JUMBY, who has an excellent Newmarket record himself, with his form figures on the Rowley Mile reading 311.

Jumby came with a late burst to land a 7f handicap on his final start of 2021, and whilst this is obviously a far tougher assignment Jumby has backform to his name that suggests he is a potential Group-class operator.

Eve Johnson Houghton’s colt was a slightly unlucky third (hampered) at this meeting 12 months ago, where he attempted to concede 6lb to a future Group 1 winner in Creative Force. With 6lb on good ground looking just about his optimum conditions, he can provide the yard with their first winner of the 2022 Flat season.

---

Native Trail (3.35 Newmarket, bet365 Craven Stakes) 2/5

A good opportunity for NATIVE TRAIL here in a race in which his powerful connections have targeted some of their best Classic hopefuls in recent years.

This colt was unbeaten in four juvenile outings, claiming the scalp of Point Lonsdale in the National Stakes before justifying odds-on favouritism in the Dewhurst over this track.

The Craven has reportedly long been Native Trail’s early-season target on the back of that success, and preparation is reported to have gone smoothly. His form looks head and shoulders above that achieved by these rivals and despite the prohibitive odds, it’s very difficult to see him leaving Newmarket on Wednesday with anything but another 1 next to his name.

Star Of India is well-bred and you’d imagine Aidan O’Brien is intending to use this as a guide to where his 3yos marry up to Native Trail.