The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for Saturday 28th September 2024

The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections from Newmarket & The Curragh

British Stallion Studs EBF ‘Jersey Lily’ Fillies’ Nursery Handicap 1.15
Naina
John Ryan’s Naina can take the opener on Nemwarket’s Saturday card, with course form here getting her the vote. There’s been plenty of rain around this week, so deeper ground here will be a new experience for a few of these two year olds, but Naina has form on soft going and winning form here. David Evans’s Harmonia lines up in fine form too, having won three of her last four starts, and can also act on ground with plenty of cut, while Eve Johnson Houghton always does well with her juveniles, so Geo completes the shortlist. Naina to make it four from eight in a productive campaign.

Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) 1.50
Wimbledon Hawkeye
It could pay to side with James Owen’s Wimbledon Hawkeye for the Royal Lodge, though this softer ground is an unknown. That said, his sire, Kameko, was two from three here and runner-up in the other, so course form is in the breeding. Wimbledon Hawkeye’s third in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes on the July course is easily the strongest form going into this, and that result has been franked with the first pair, Charlie Appleby’s Ancient Truth now three from three, and Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven a fine third in the Group One National Stakes at The Curragh two weeks back. Wimbledon Hawkeye to score stepped up to this mile trip, with James Doyle up top an added plus.

Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies) 2.25
Babouche
A fascinating clash between Ger Lyons’s Babouche and Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria, while French raiders Daylight and Rayevka add a truly international flavour to this Group One. Add home talent in Ed Walker’s Celandine and Karl Burke’s Queen Mary Stakes winner, Leovanni, and a real cracker is in store. However, Ger Lyons’s Babouche did look one right out of the top drawer when landing the Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh, and has dominated the ante-post markets, while Lake Victoria has exclusively been run over seven furlongs in her three starts. Six furlongs is the trip here, just perfect for Babouche, with Prix Morny third, Daylight, and Celandine the each-way angles.

Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (Group 1) (Colts) 3.00
Whistlejacket (nap)
It is very hard to ignore the appeal of Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket for the Middle Park here. Aidan O’Brien’s No Nay Never colt made all in that Group 1 at Deauville, beating a top-class field with a handy run on the rail, but with his best work coming on ground with plenty of cut, all the stars look aligned for a second Group One win. Stablemate Ides Of March and fellow Irish raider Black Forza can make a challenge for Group One honours, but Whistlejacket is the one to beat.

bet365 Cambridgeshire (Heritage Handicap) 3.40
Balmacara
In a typically hot race for the Cambridgeshire, we’ll take an each-way chance on Eve Johnson Houghton’s Balmacara. This New Bay gelding has been a model of consistency this season, with two wins, two runners-up spots and a third in his five starts, and his best form has come on softer ground to add to the case for. William Haggas’s Godwinson is going to post in fine form after a win at Goodwood, while Liberty Lane lines up for in-form Spigot Lodge handler Karl Burke, and can only improve on last year’s down the field finish, carrying top weight this time to show how much this Teofilo gelding has improved. Plenty of money has come in for Emmet Mullins’s This Songisforyou this week in what could be a canny piece of placing, but Balmacara edges it.

The Curragh

Montane Developments Beresford Stakes (Group 2) 2.35
Hotazhell (nb)
Aidan O’Brien is double-handed here with Trinity College and Lambourn, but this can go to Jessica Harrington’s Hotazhell. Beaten a length by the smart prospect Henri Matisse in the Futurity Stakes here last month, that form stacks up after Henri Matisse went down by just three quarters of a length in the Group One National Stakes two weeks back. Trinity College does look the stable first string with Wayne Lordan in the hot seat, while British raider, Windlord from Andrew Balding’s in-form yard also makes the shortlist. Hotazhell to land the Beresford.

The Mandarin