ITV Racing Tips on Saturday: Kevin O’Malley’s Best Bets
Goodwood and Newmarket make up the feature action on ITV Racing on Saturday. Industry tipster and analyst Kevin O’Malley chimes in once more with his three best bets set to be shown live on terrestrial television.
Summerghand out to show his class
Winning the Stewards’ Cup is no mean feat for a horse and can leave its mark. But Summerghand put up a Group class performance at Goodwood and is well worth his place in Listed company for Newmarket’s 2:05 on Saturday and has to be considered a very likely winner.
Cup winnerr faces winnable Listed race
Some of these Listed and Group 3 sprints can turn out to be Group 2 and Group 1 quality affairs in all bar name, but this renewal of the Hopeful Stakes doesn’t have a clutch of top quality form on the table. With that in mind, the stage is set for Summerghand for shine again.
Romance to continue for Hannon filly
Happy Romance followed up her super sprint win with another excellent run in second at York and Richard Hannon’s talented juvenile continues to sharpen her knives and improve. She comes out well on the clock and looks sure to go close again in the 7f Prestige Stakes at 1:50pm.
Experience over potential in Goodwood Group 3
Happy Romance has the experience edge over her rivals, along with some very smart form too. But there are some lightly-raced horses who could improve, Pomelo being the most obvious of those. A well-bred Dubawi filly, she won nicely at Newbury by five lengths on debut. However, she’s yet to be fully tested by a strong gallop against good horses and overall, it could pay to side with experience.
Take Sir Busker to graduate out of handicap company
William Knight takes the plunge with his promising 4yo Sir Busker in Saturday’s Celebration Mile, a Group 2 contest over the eight furlong trip. This horse has top handicap form and produced some impressive sectionals in defeat at York last time, suggesting he is ready for the step up in grade in the 3:35pm at Goodwood.
Small field a worry, but not soft ground
Sir Busker should have no problems handling the likely soft ground at Goodwood and he has an excellent turn of foot. The problem could come from it being his first race for a while in a small field. If he takes to the task well and finds the additional space to his liking, it would be no surprise to see him really motoring in the final furlong here.