By Tony Calvin - 8 June 2026
After having already looked at the 2.10pm, I thought I would get the other ITV race at Chester out of the way.
This race was only drafted into the terrestrial coverage on Thursday, so it wasn’t priced up at the five-day stage.
In fact, as I write this (8.19am on Friday), only one firm has gone up with prices, so I will have to return to it.
Maybe…
But, as it stands, the one intrepid firm make Bolo Neighs and Station X their [11/4] favourites.
You can see why Station X is prominent in the betting as a front-runner drawn one in this 6f handicap but you’d like to see the usually excellent Bryan Smart stable in a lot better form.
He is the most likely winner, to my eye.
Drawn one at Chester, innit.
The Queen Mother’s Cup 1m4f handicap for female amateur jockeys wouldn’t be for everyone.
For what it is worth, a different jockey has won each of the last nine runnings of this race (maybe even further back than that but I couldn’t be arsed to check), so maybe focus on the horses and not the riders (most of which I know nothing about, anyway).
That said, last year’s “winning” combination of Becky Smith and Chillingham are probably going to be popular, and they are priced up at [11/2].
The books are clearly reading a lot into this being a planned repeat target, as the horse finished last of 15 over an extended 1m2f here last month, so you are taking a fair bit on trust.
But he got dropped 4lb in one fell swoop for that run and is now 6lb lower than when landing this race last season.
I say landed but he got awarded the race a few days later as the winning jockey went well over the whip limit and got DQ’d, but he clearly has a big chance on that form.
The visor that he wore that day is back on here (he wore cheekpieces last month) but this is a race I can live without betting-wise.
Very easily.
That’s a constant across all nine ITV races on Saturday, to be honest.
Just a Girl is a NR
There was quite a sorry tale here soon after the final field was confirmed at 10am on Thursday.
Six horses were balloted out (see below) but then at 10.47am, Postmodern, also in at York on Saturday, was taken out as he was “declared in error.”
So Aqua Bear was denied a run in a 50k 11-runner race.
I’d have like to have seen some sympathy and flexibility from the BHA here – connections of Aqua Bear lose out on the chance of a big pot because of another trainer’s incompetence.
I’ll refrain from the obvious joke.
Anyway, I am not quite sure why there is just a maximum field of 11 anyway.
I won’t be having a bet myself here as Chester simply doesn’t do it for me as a punting track but this is undoubtedly a very strong handicap. Little surprise to see William Haggas – who else? – provide the favourite in Masked Warrior, at a best price of 7/2, as he has the sexy profile.
Plus the stable are flying along at the moment, though he did have losers at 11/8 and 9/4 yesterday for balance (though he had a winner at 8s, too).
An unappealing betting race. Chester innit.
Sergeant Wilko and Bobby Bennu are NRs,, as is Oriental Prince
A full field for this 7f handicap (see balloted out horses below) makes this rather difficult to solve but, unsurprisingly, the market has settled on Haggas’ twice-raced unbeaten colt Extremely Zain as the clear favourite at a best-priced [11/4].
He did well to defy a 7lb penalty in a Newbury novice last time – the runner-up won next time – and it will surprise no-one if this Sussex Stakes entry wins here.
But [11/4] in a 22-runner handicap?
No thank you.
Any bets I have in this race are going to be minimal but I am possibly inclined to give Daydreama another chance after a poor run at Carlisle last time when he was very weak (surprisingly so) in the market.
Certainly, his course and distance efforts, most recently when second to the progressive Startled here last month off just a 1lb higher mark than this, make him of each-way interest at 28s.
PLEASE NOTE (2,10pm update): Lir Speciale was a punted short-head 9-2 second in the 1.50pm at York on Friday. The stable’s Tolstoy won on consecutive days at this meeting in 2024, in those/these two contests.
Same owner, too.
The 18s and 16s may not last, the 25s having already been taken.
Sirius A is a NR, so we are down to eight.
Be careful each-way punters.
I wasn’t in the least bit surprised that all the fancy early prices about Lady Youmzain were quickly gobbled up, with the ludicrously big 20s in a few places early on Thursday now a distant memory and 9s is now the best price about her.
Her Haydock third last time already puts her firmly in the picture here and there is a suspicion she is better than she showed there too, with the step back down to 5f expected to suit.
By me anyway. And a few others, clearly.
The current 9s may still be a fair price about her but you can clearly make a case for all of these at their current odds, and the 14s about Poatan looks big enough.
You are guessing on his state of readiness on his first start since September, but I imagine owners Amo Racing (they are not having the best of seasons given their spend) will want him fully revved up for this and maybe a gelding operation since we last saw him has made him easier to prepare.
His 2yo form gives him a decent springboard for this winnable contest and , while 5f may be too sharp, even on this track, I wouldn’t like to be a layer at 14s.
Words Of Truth clearly sets the form standard though, and it is very much the one to beat.
This Listed race is Al Qareem’s winning grade, and I think he has a fair chance of defying a 5lb penalty.
It is just a matter of whether his price of [9/4] is big enough, as this is certainly no gimme.
In fact, it is a very strong Listed race and he actually comes out fifth of six on official ratings at these weights.
When I say this is Al Qareem’s winning grade that is not correct, as he has scored in Group 2 and Group 3 company, but I think that is a fair assessment of his ability these days.
He actually ran one of his lesser races in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last time but he is three from six around here, including a victory in this race last season, and the balance of his form makes him the one to beat in my book.
But I’d personally want a fair bit bigger than [9/4] myself , especially as the front-runner could be hassled for the lead by Gregory and Roaring Legend.
Another no-bet race at the current prices.
It is 12s bar three in this 1m handicap and, unfortunately, I can fully see the wisdom of that betting assessment.
The first three, and the rest nowhere.
Beagle Bay is currently winning the battle for favouritism after an impressive win at Yarmouth last month, but High Degree (that man Haggas again) and Raammee are right up his arse in the betting at [7/2] and [4/1] respectively.
All three have done it on the clock too (in the context of this handicap) and they are likely to have plenty in hand of their marks.
If forced to choose, I’d probably go with Raammee at 4s each way, four places (a combination available in seven places as this goes live at 10.03am on Friday).
He had a good home reputation after two all-weather, odds-on wins at two (mind you, a lot of Roger Varian’s do) and I think he was ridden with one eye to the future on his return here last month.
It was a good starting point, anyway.
The first-time hood is an unknown (it did little for his half-brother Qazaq, also trained by Varian) and he is clearly not straightforward (he was also gelded before he made his debut) , but one suspects a mark of 95 will be exploitable at some point.
Whether that is here is a fair question mark. This could be a very hot race for a 35k handicap.
Just when you thought Saturday on ITV was a very hard betting experience, up pops another maximum-size field at York (balloted out runners below), this time a 6f handicap in which the 22 horses will obviously be spread right across the track.
Where you want to be when the music stops no-one really knows, although the current going stick reading suggests the centre is the quickest strip of ground.
I can easily see either of the market leaders winning, Thunder Call (Haggas yet again) or the progressive Red Spells Danger, but maybe Fortification is the better punting call, each way, at 10s.
He was visually stunning when winning here at 40s on his debut for Brian Ellison last month and that form has been regularly franked since, too.
And, although failing to follow up off this 5lb higher mark last time, he again ran a screamer to finish a length fourth of 16.
That form has already been well advertised since too, with the winner running well in defeat at Epsom last week and third bolting up at Doncaster subsequently.
Both of those runs here came over 5f and you have to think the step up to 6f will be a huge positive on run-style.
His draw in 22 means you are pretty much putting all your eggs in the same punting basket, but I think 10s is a fair trade-off. Extra place/s are available for each-way punters.
The decision for horses deemed non-runners at the start to be ignored in the “formbook” comes into sharp focus here with Cashbox, the 25/1 outsider of the field.
He was a slow-starter from the stalls at Windsor on May 11, and was subsequently deemed a NR, but the Racing Post website doesn’t give us any idea of where he finished or how far he was beaten (though they do note he actually ran).
Indeed, they are also telling us he last raced 60 days ago.
Not ideal for punters in this regard, either.
Ironically perhaps, I have him down as one of the two pace angles in here….
Like the 2.10pm at Chester, this is another strong 10-runner 3yo handicap – and equally hard to decipher.
I seriously don’t have a betting opinion but I bet George Boughey has asked the handicapper about the treatment of his Utmost Good Faith.
He hasn’t beaten any of his 19 rivals in his last three starts – and he has only been dropped 1lb.
Granted, that last of four at Kempton in February was a good effort and he was drawn 13 at Chester last time, but even so.
Maybe a first-time tongue-tie will help the 18s poke return to form.
I wouldn’t bet on it myself though….pretty much a no-bet Saturday then, but I make no apologies for that.
Pick your battles and Saturday looks full of ambushes.
Going: Good good to firm in places
Going stick: 7.2, Sat 8.20am
Going Stick – Overall 7.2 – in home straight: Farside 7.0; Centre 7.2; Standside 7.0
Watering: Irrigating suspended. Last irrigation was to whole course with 3mm overnight Friday 5th June.
Saturday course update: Dry overnight, and a dry, fresh and breezy Saturday morning. Recent rainfall of 6.6mm on Thursday making 15.8mm in June. Met Office forecast: Saturday: dry with sunny intervals and feeling cool in a stiff westerly wind, 16 degrees.
yr.no weather (3.38am Saturday): Saturday, dry, sunny spells, windy 16 degrees
Going
Watering: None specified
Saturday course update: 3mm rain Saturday. 4.2mm rain Monday. 1.6mm rain Tuesday. Dry Wednesday. 3.8mm rain Thursday. Improving, dry and warmer – Friday 22 degrees, Saturday 22 degrees
yr.no weather (3.38am Saturday): : Dry and sunny Saturday, 20 degrees
Going: Good to soft, soft in places
Going stick: 6.3, Sat 7am
Watering: If rain does not materialise, will water with the aim to achieve Good ground.
Saturday course update: Dry over the last 24 hours. 27mm rain over the last 5 days. Today forecast to be dry with broken sunshine, highs of 17’C and a 17mph North Westerly wind.
yr.no weather (3.38am Saturday): dry and sunny, 16 degrees
2.10pm Chester: Aqua Bear, Sporting Light, The Resdev Scholar, Abundant, Wetsand, Media Legend
2.25pm York: Invincible Boy, The Resdev Scholar, Criminal Shore, Northern Express, Thunder Roar
3.35pm York: Rikki Tiki Tavi, Kinnalargy, Hallo Spaceboy
Julie Camacho cheekpieces; Brummell, 1.35pm Chester; 8-70 (since 2017)
James Owen hood; No Knee Never, 1.50pm York; 8-35 (2022)
Ralph Beckett cheekpieces; Queen’s Companion, 2.05pm Sandown; 10-65 (2016)
Roger Varian hood; Raammee, 3.17pm Sandown; 42-214 (2011)
Eve Johnson Houghton cheekpieces; Cogitate, 3.17pm Sandown; 13-153 (2016)
John and Thady Gosden blinkers; Archers Bay, 3.55pm Sandown; 16-83 (2021)
Charles Hills blinkers; Cashbox, 3.55pm Sandown; 10-82 (2011)
1.35pm Chester: Station X (drawn 1), Brummell (4), Accrual (9), Smart Vision (8)
1.50pm York: No Knee Never (drawn 8), Dunkeld Dreamer (3)
2.10pm Chester: Masked Warrior (3), Proud Nation (4), Jeddaal (6), Comic Hero (2) – Just A Girl is a NR
2.25pm York: Yanifer (11), Sujet? (21), Gweedore (16), Brighton Boy (8), White Crown Star (12) – Sergeant Wilko and Bobby Bennu and Oriental Prince are NRs
2.42pm Sandown: Military Code (4), Argentine Tango (5), Lady Youmzain (3) – Sirius A is a NR
3pm York: Al Qareem (5), Gregory (2), Roaring Legend (4)
3.17pm Sandown: Raammee (1), High Degree (4)
3.35pm York: Five Ways (17), Postmodern (11), Advertised (3), Boston Dan (21), Underwriter (14), Red Spells Danger (9), Silent Strike (16), Reciprocated (15), Chicago Pope (8), Ruby’s Angel (12), Go Vince Go (1)
3.55pm Sandown: Utmost Good Faith (3), Cashbox (8)
Good: Roger Varian (last five runners have won), Jim Goldie, James Owen, William Haggas (flying – even before an 8-1 winner on Thursday), Harriet Bethell, David and Nicola Barron, John and Thady Gosden, Richard Hannon, Ed Walker, Hugo Palmer, Hamad Al Jehani (4 from 8) , Hugo Palmer, Grant Tuer, Eve Johnson Houghton, James Ferguson (very good; small sample; 4 from 8, too)
Fair: David O’Meara (fair/good), Karl Burke (fair/good), Ollie Sangster, Adrian Keatley, Tim Easterby, Kevin Ryan, Julie Camacho, Michael Dods, Roger Fell, Katie Scott, Brian Ellison, Andrew Balding, Tom Clover, Charlie Appleby, Richard and Peter Fahey, Charlie Johnston, David Loughnane (Friday winner), Richard Hughes, Ralph Beckett, Roger Varian, George Scott, Owen Burrows (22-1 Friday winner), Jonathan Portman, William Knight, Jack Channon, Charles Hills (fair/good – 40/1 Friday winner), Marco Botti, Mick Appleby, Micky Hammond (fair/good after Friday winner), Jennie Candlish (16-1 Friday Chester winner broke a barren spell), Olly Murphy (fair/good)
Moderate: Ian Williams, Declan Carroll, Dominic Ffrench Davis (small sample), Archie Watson, Johnny Murtagh (4-6 winner on Thursday) , Ben Haslam, John and Sean Quinn, James Horton, Jamie Osborne (decidedly average…), Jane Chapple-Hyam, David Simcock, James Evans, George Boughey (fair/moderate), Stuart Williams, Bryan Smart, Antony Brittain, Jessica Macey
Don’t know: Lucy Wadham
STATS/INFO SECTION 1.COURSE DETAILS GOODWOOD GOING: Good, good to firm in places Going Stick:…
1.30pm York – Do you have a bet up your Slieve in this charity race?…
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