Five races will be shown live on July Cup day at Newmarket
Ascot and York also feature on the ITV coverage
Mutasaabeq, Rhoscolyn and Winter Power feature in our ITV tips
Expired
Winter Power can bounce back to winning at her favourite venue on Saturday. (Getty)
Racing fans have got a bumper afternoon of action to look forward to on Saturday. Five races will be shown live on ITV from Newmarket, where the July Cup headlines proceedings. We'll also take in four races live from York on John Smith's Cup day, as well as two excellent contests from Ascot.
With plenty of races to get through, let's jump straight into our best ITV Racing betting tips at Newmarket, Ascot and York.
Saturday's ITV Racing Schedule
Time
Track
Title
1:45pm
York
John Smith's Racing Handicap (Class 2) 1m
2:05pm
Newmarket
Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa Fillies' Handicap (Class 2) 7f
2:25pm
York
John Smith's Silver Cup Stakes (Group 3) 1m6f
2:40pm
Newmarket
bet365 Mile Handicap (Class 2) 1m
3:00pm
Ascot
Betfred Heritage Handicap (Class 2) 5f
3:15pm
Newmarket
bet365 Superlative Stakes (Group 2) 7f
3:35pm
Ascot
Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes (Group 2) 1m
3:50pm
Newmarket
bet365 Bunbury Cup (Heritage Handicap) (Class 2) 7f
This looks like a good opportunity for ISLA KAI to break his losing streak, after the handicapper dropped his rating by two pounds following another solid effort at Royal Ascot.
Nigel Tinkler's four-year-old has now placed in the Spring Cup, the Weston Park Handicap at Doncaster and the Britannia, where he was beaten four-lengths back in sixth having tried to make all. Despite clocking his fourth RPR of 101 or above in his last five starts at Ascot, the handicapper has lowered Isla Kai's down official mark to 98, so I'm not surprised to see Rowan Scott's mount sitting atop the betting.
Race 2 - Bedford Lodge Hotel Handicap Tips
At 6/4, I'm happy to take Kidwah on. The hot-favourite is two-from-two during her short career, but the form of both races looks fairly suspect and this is her first start over a trip further than six furlongs.
I'll take the market leader on with MISS CAROL ANN, who hasn't done herself justice on either of her starts in pattern company this season. Roger Varian's filly looked potentially smart when winning her maiden on the Rowley Mile last season and Miss Carol Ann could make a big impact on her handicap debut.
Race 3 - Silver Cup Stakes Tips
A disappointing turn out of just three runners for this Group Three. JOHN LEEPER seemed to be getting the hang of things in the closing stages of the Grand Cup here at York racecourse, where he stayed on from out the back to finish second to Without A Fight. The two renew rivalries on Saturday and I'd rather side with Richard Kingscote's improving mount at the prices.
Race 4 - bet365 Mile Handicap Tips
I'm surprised to see SPINAROUND sitting at the bottom of the market. John Gosden's charge was drawn poorly in the Britannia and drifted markedly in the betting throughout the day. Prior to Royal Ascot, Spinaround had looked a progressive sort and Benoit De La Sayette takes five off his back. 20/1 looks like a massive price.
Race 5 - Betfred Heritage Handicap Tips
The market usually gets this competitive handicap sprint spot on. Only two of the last ten winners went off at 10/1 or longer, and the favourite has either won or placed in eight of the last ten runnings.
He may be one of the oldest runners in the field, but I could see TABDEED getting back towards the top of the betting. Archie Watson's star was slowly away and hampered badly in the early stages of the Wokingham. Hollie Doyle's mount had placed in two Listed sprints prior to that effort and Tabdeed is a previous course winner. He could be well-handicapped running off 100.
As could fellow seven-year-old, STONE OF DESTINY. Andrew Balding's charge was rated 106 this time last year and boasts plenty of good form around Ascot racecourse, having won the Shergar Cup Dash in 2019. Off a mark of 87, he could be a big player.
Rhoscolyn can make his class count in the Bunbury Cup. (Getty)
Race 6 - Superlative Stakes Tips
Charlie Appleby often unleashes his best juvenile in the Superlative Stakes and VICTORY DANCE can follow in the footsteps of Quorto, Master Of The Seas and last year's winner, Native Trail.
By the great Dubawi and a half-sibling to a Group One winner in Skitter Scatter, Victory Dance took a while to get going on debut here on the July Course, getting up in the dying strides to record a narrow win. I'm not really that keen on Lion Or War and Isaac Shelby would appreciate softer ground, so this could turn out to be a fairly straightforward task for William Buick's mount.
Race 7 - Summer Mile Stakes Tips
MUTASAABEQ has always been a horse with tons of ability. Charlie Hills' charge won nicely on his reappearance at Thirsk and was only beaten a neck in the Group Two bet365 Mile on his second start.
Last time out at Epsom, Mutasaabeq hung badly on the camber down the home straight and Jim Crowley was never able to ask for a serious effort. Considering he clearly hated the track, Mutasaabeq did well to finish third behind Megallan.
Returning to a flatter track like Ascot should bring out the best in Hill's four-year-old, who could still progress into a Group One performer before the season is out.
Race 8 - Bunbury Cup Tips
Class tends to come to the fore in this competitive handicap. Only two of the last 15 winners carried less than 9-00 and only three winners in that time were rated lower than 98.
With Danny Tudhope and Jason Watson both riding away from Newmarket, James Doyle has picked up the spare ride on the classy RHOSCOLYN, who comes into the Bunbury Cup on the back of a cracking run in the Buckingham Palace Stakes.
David O'Meara's four-year-old powered down the centre of the track to finish a length back in third, when giving plenty of weight to both Inver Park and Ropey Guest. The handicapper has kept Rhoscolyn on the same mark of 103, despite clocking an RPR of 111 at Royal Ascot, and Doyle's mount will carry five pounds less on his back in this contest. 14/1 is a cracking price.
Race 9 - John Smith's Cup Tips
Like the Bunbury Cup, this handicap has become a race for young, up-and-coming runners. Last year's surprise winner, Johnny Drama became just the second horse older than five to have won the John Smith's Cup since 1970.
It's been 15 years since a favourite won this handicap, but that won't stop me from backing the progressive ROGUE BEAR. Tom Clover's four-year-old stayed on to place in both the Lincoln and the Spring Cup, and was beaten narrowly on his first start over this trip here at York last time out.
Stevie Donohoe's mount did plenty wrong that day and only lost out by a head and Rogue Bear seems to have been laid out since then to protect his generous handicap mark.
We've seen horses rated 104, 108 and even 111 win the John Smith's Cup in recent years and I wouldn't be surprised if see last year's runaway Kilkerran Cup winner, CHICHESTER was competitive.
Keith Dalgliesh's five-year-old was only beaten a neck by a future Group Two winner on his reappearance at Listed level. Slow starts have hampered Chichester in recent runs, but if Callum Rodriquez's mount gets off to a level break, then he certainly has the class to mount a winning challenge.
If you plan on watching any of Saturday's races via a mobile or tablet, then take a look at our July Cup Live Stream page.
Race 11 - City Walls Stakes Tips
WINTER POWER has won on her last visits to York, scoring in this race 12 months ago before following up in the Nunthorpe. Tim Easterby's filly has been extremely disappointing since that Group One success. Yet, if Winter Power can run up to anywhere near her rating of 114, she should be far too classy for this modest field.
