Saturday ITV Racing Tips: Best bets for Newbury and Ayr
- Scott Allen
- 16 September 2022
Planet Sport tipsters mark your card for Saturday's ITV action from Ayr's Gold Cup Festival and Newbury's International weekend with a selection for each of the nine live races.
Busy day of racing on Saturday as ITV cram in three Group 3 races, a Group 2 and of course the Ayr Gold Cup (1540).
Here's a quick snapshot of Planet Sport's hot tips, with a bit of extra detail on our highlighted horses below that. You can follow all the latest racecards and results using our live centres at Ayr and Newbury.
Selections:
13:20 (Ayr) Koy Koy
13:40 (Newbury) Lysander
13:55 (Ayr) Phantom Flight
14:15 (Newbury) Mitbaahy
14:30 (Ayr) Emperor Spirit
14:50 (Newbury) Sakheer
15:05 (Ayr) All The Time
15:25 (Newbury) Marching Army
15:40 (Ayr) Vadream
13:40 (Newbury) Lysander
Lysander could be worth chancing when he goes for Group Three glory in the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup Stakes.
Although defending champion Solid Stone could prove a tough nut to crack, the son of New Approach was once seen as a Derby prospect and has always been held in high regard by connections.
The nature of his wide-margin victory at Newcastle earlier in the season shows there is plenty of talent lurking under the bonnet and he has not been disgraced in Pattern company since.
13:55 (Ayr) Phantom Flight
Euchen Glen has run well in defeat in the Virgin Bet Doonside Cup Stakes in the past few years and cannot be ruled out once again.
But younger legs could be the order of the day and this has been Phantom Flight's aim ever since bolting up in a York handicap last month.
The Siyouni colt has scored three times for James Horton during his first season in the training ranks and appears primed to take the step up to Listed level in his stride.
14:15 (Newbury) Mitbaahy
Mitbaahy attempts to bounce back in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes.
Nothing went right for the three-year-old at Goodwood last time, but he was progressive in the early part of the season and a similar effort would put him in the mix in this Group Three assignment at a track which should suit.
14:50 (Newbury) Sakheer
Sakheer can mark himself out as one of the hottest two-year-old prospects if landing the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes.
Inexperience cost Roger Varian's youngster when a beaten favourite at Windsor on debut, but he made no mistake at the second time of asking when fulfilling the promise of his opening run with a taking six-length success at Haydock.
It was a performance from the €550,000 breeze-up buy that demanded a step up in grade and he looks to have all the attributes to make his mark in this six-furlong Group Two.
Varian won this race in 2019 with Pierre Lapin following his own impressive display at Haydock, so it is interesting Sakheer is attempting to tread a similar path.
Victory would give connections their second big win in the space of seven days with Varian and Egan combining to give owners KHK Racing Ltd St Leger glory with Eldar Eldarov at Doncaster last weekend.
15:05 (Ayr) All The Time
All The Time was finishing at a rate of knots when attempting to follow up a Chester win in a Salisbury Group Three last time and looks the pick in the Virgin Bet Firth Of Clyde Fillies' Stakes.
She did not have the best of the draw or luck in running on that occasion, so her performance to be beaten a neck can be marked up. Her form throughout the season has a strong look to it and she can add victory number three for the season here.
15:40 (Ayr) Vadream
A touch of class will not go amiss in Ayr's feature Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Handicap and Charlie Fellowes' Vadream has plenty on her CV to suggest a bold bid in the prestigious six-furlong handicap.
Admittedly this season has been more miss than hit for the Group Three winner, who has also placed in a Jersey Stakes and Fred Darling, but there was plenty of encouragement in her performance at Newmarket last time when only beaten a head in the Hopeful Stakes.
That race was given a boost when the third and sixth fought out the finish of the Scarbrough Stakes during Doncaster's St Leger Festival, while the four-year-old will relish any cut in the ground.
She is proven over further and that stamina could kick in if there is plenty of pace on.
