Our expert takes a look through all of Saturday’s televised races and highlights a strong challenger in a Group Three at Newbury as his NAP of the day with BetVictor. Sign up with BetVictor today, place your first bet of £5 on our NAP of the day and you’ll receive £30 in free bets.
2:20pm Newbury Teddington RBL Poppy Appeal Stakes (Registered As The St Simon Stakes) (Group 3) 1m4f
Last year’s renewal of the St Simon Stakes produced a stunning photo finish and after several minutes of deliberation, the stewards couldn’t split MORANDO (NAP) and Young Rascal, declaring the race a dead-heat. The joint-winners from last year’s race return to try and claim the bountiful first prize in full on Saturday and, after experiencing contrasting fortunes during 2019, I’m backing Morando to come out on top.
Andrew Balding’s charge proved he was a forced to be reckoned with when ground conditions were in his favour on his reappearance at Chester, bolting up to claim a decisive victory in the Ormonde Stakes, destroying Kew Gardens by eight lengths. Defeats followed in the Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes and the King George at Ascot, but Morando was never likely to mount a serious challenge while the word good featured in the going description.
Silvestre De Sousa then guided Morando into the Geoffrey Freer Stakes here at Newbury and Morando was backed into short-priced favouritism. Sadly, Balding’s charge started to feel the pinch in the final furlong of that mile-and-a-quarter contest and was picked off in the dying strides by Technician. A return to his favourite, 12 furlong trip resulted in an overdue victory at Ascot last time out, as Morando spreadeagled the field when winning the Cumberland Lodge Stakes by six lengths.
Young Rascal performed well after a summer break last season and boasts valuable course form. However, William Haggas’ charge looked well short of his best during his two outings at the start of the season and, on that form, he’s not the force he was as a three-year-old.
Royal Line ran in a grueling renewal of the Long Distance Cup at Ascot just last weekend and the seven-day turnaround looks sharp, considering he’s a horse who has been lightly campaigned throughout his career. Kings Advice has done his best work on firm ground. Manuela De Vega hasn’t won all season and Spirit Of Appin seemed a fortunate winner of a Group Three when last seen and will have to up her game significantly.
So, with nothing standing out in opposition, and with ground, trip and the draw firmly in his favour, I’m finding it hard to see why Morando isn’t much shorter at the head of the market than he is. 5/2 is a fantastic price!