Four horses to follow from our experts on Saturday
Our top team highlight four horses to keep on the right side of on Saturday across Newbury, Ayr and York, all live on Racing TV.
Balance Play
General odds: 100-30.
Tipster: Harry Allwood.
Balance Play was progressing nicely this season until his latest outing, but that run can be excused, and he holds strong claims based upon his previous efforts.
Ralph Beckett's promising youngster produced a career best to win a 0-90 handicap on his penultimate outing at Goodwood in what looked a useful contest, and was sent off favourite for a strong handicap at York afterwards, despite having a 7lb higher mark to contend with.
However, things did not go to plan on the Knavesmire, and he trailed in tenth having been one of the first off the bridle. It is wise to think the ground was too fast for him there, though (especially as he is by Lope De Vega), and his Goodwood victory came on good to soft.
The ground will be more to his liking on Saturday, and he's a half-brother to Khalidi, a Listed winner who was rated 114 in his prime, so there should be plenty more to come from this lightly-raced youngster.
Haatem
Tipster: Ross Millar.
It has been a while since this Group Two contest has thrown up a real top-class colt, and I suspect the same will be true again this year.
One who is of interest (and that I have already advised backing at 10-1) is the Richard Hannon-trained Haatem.
Soft ground has seen this race cut up, but Haatem's standout piece of from – his win in the Vintage Stakes – came on the softest ground he’s encountered.
The form of that win received a boost, with the Champagne Stakes victory from Iberian, and if the ground does ride testing, Haatem's proven stamina over further can serve him well over this six-furlong trip.
He still appeals at the general 11-2 on offer.
Orazio
General odds: 8-1.
Tipster: Harry Allwood.
I have long thought that this four-year-old is a Group performer in the making, so I am keeping the faith in him as he bids to bounce back from a below-par effort in the Stewards' Cup when last seen.
After landing back-to-back handicaps in good style on his return from a break in the Spring, Orazio was not beaten far when sixth in the Wokingham off a rating of 102, an effort that signalled he would be capable of winning a valuable handicap this season, especially as he would have found the ground a shade too quick on that occasion.
It is best to forgive his effort at the Qatar Goodwood Festival where the ground was barely raceable (racing was abandoned after the Stewards' Cup had been run that day) and although he does like cut in the ground, he clearly didn't handle the extreme conditions.
He should relish conditions on Saturday (the ground is good to soft, at the time of writing) and remains with plenty of potential with just eight runs under his belt.
Charlie Hills has always held Orazio in high regard, and his charge has attracted plenty of support on his past two starts, so it would be no surprise to see him shorten significantly on Saturday.
If he is going to develop into a Group performer, then he should be going close here off a rating of 101.
Marbuzet
General odds: --
Tipster: Angus McNae.
Marbuzet bolted up at Musselburgh last weekend - that was clear for anyone to see. However, a deeper look into what he achieved is revealed by the Course Track figures, and they show that he totally dominated this field without ever coming off the bridle. This followed on from a win at Carlisle nine days before.
He was held up over this two-mile trip, yet proved to be the fastest through each of the final six furlongs, and he did that without his jockey moving a muscle.
Rarely do you see a horse prove to be so dominant in a race. Horses can finish faster than their rivals, or make a mid-race move for a couple of furlongs, but to be faster through six consecutive furlongs is a rarity.
His final three furlongs of 39.89s took him nine and a half lengths clear of the runner-up, who recorded 41.63s over the same distance.
He won that race off a mark of 57 and will be hard to beat if in the same form at York on Saturday. I will certainly be supporting him.
