Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 18th May

A nice Royal winner, Magnetic Charm, at York yesterday meaning I finish the 3-day Dante meeting actually winning money with two 7-1 winners from my eight bets. Phew.  

We have a couple of decent cards at Newbury and Newmarket on Saturday whilst they also race at Bangor-On-Dee, Thirsk, Doncaster and Uttoxeter. I am concentrating, as do ITV, on the two main flat meetings.

I will be having my own version of the popular Saturday afternoon bet, let’s call it the Triple G 7,  hopefully, they are magnificent!

The Listed 6f Shalaa Carnarvon Stakes at 1.50 gets the card underway at Newbury. Red Impression is a filly I have talked of over the winter and she was beaten a running-on ½ length in third in the Listed heat at Chelmsford City last month. Drawn 14 of 14 she was up against it from the off and to my eyes she was given too much to do there, had to come ten wide into the straight! Compensation awaits her and I have a bit of the 4-1 that was about early this week.

Newmarket gets underway at 2.05 with the 1m2f Listed Fairway Stakes. Al Hilalee was a surprise entry at the final supplement stage for the 2000 Guineas and never really got involved. The maiden won by Raise You here last month over a mile is looking pretty hot from – third, fourth, fifth and sixth having all won next time out. The Andrew Balding trained colt made virtually all to win unchallenged suggesting this level at the very least should e within his compass. Grab a bit of the 6-5 as he should be running against better company as the summer progresses.

Back to Newbury for the 1m4f Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes (Registered As The Aston Park Stakes) at 2.25. Crystal Ocean is rated head and shoulders above the opposition and surely the rest are running for place money. This looks a nice little confidence booster before G.1 targets in the summer and unsurprisingly he is odds-on at 4-7.

At 2.40 it’s the 7f Listed King Charles II Stakes at HQ. Jash was second in the G.1 Middle Park Stakes when last seen and that is by far the best form on show. You would assume Simon Crisford has the colt raring to go and somewhere near the same sort of performance sees him win this at 10-11.

One of my favourite fillies in training Laurens is due to make her seasonal reappearance in the race of the day the Group One Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury over the mile at 3.40.Karl Burke’s stable star is already a five-time Group One winner, on ground ranging from good-soft through to good-firm, and though this looks a top-notch renewal I think she can kick-off her 4yo campaign with a victory. Le Brivido was priced-up as the early jolly (Thursday lunchtime) so on Thursday I happily took the 11-2 (bpg) about the filly getting the slight weight advantage.

At 4.15 at Newbury we have the 6f Olympic Glory Conditions Stakes. Some potentially nice one's line-up for this including the Ballydoyle inmate Fort Myers and the Charlie Appleby trained Well Of Wisdom. Joker On Jack absolutely trotted up on debut over 4½f at Keeneland on debut last month and is another Wesley Ward 2yo that looks all about speed, the 106 rated Competitive Speed being one of those he left trailing in his wake suggesting the form is solid. Tyler Gaffalione Hardly moved a muscle in the saddle and this might be a steering job for Frankie. I will grab the best price I can when they go up; the Coventry might be the target at Ascot.

Still at Newbury at 4.50 it is the Listed 1m2f Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial Stakes. Star Catcher looks the type to improve on breeding (has all the entries you would expect) and duly won on her second start (3yo debut) over track and trip last month. She didn’t beat any likely superstars but she put the race to bed with some ease. At 4-1 she is the one for this. The form of the race in which Sea Of Faith was fourth on debut has taken some knocks this week with Sparkle Roll and King Power being beaten.

Be lucky