2023 Mill Reef Stakes Tips - 25/1 outsider could spring a surprise at Newbury

Here's our free guide to the 2023 Mill Reef Stakes, including our best betting tips.

Heavy ground at Newbury has forced Elite Status, Lake Forest and Eben Shaddad out of Saturday's main event. The market is now topped by Eve Johnson Houghton's Mister Sketch, who ran out a nine-length winner of a novice at Salisbury last time out.

Vintage Stakes winner, Haatem will attempt to bounce back after a poor showing in the Gimcrack Stakes. George Scott will be represented by Sirenia Stakes runner-up Seven Questions, with Oisin Murphy riding Array for Andrew Balding.

Ralph Beckett and Hector Crouch team up with Matters Most, with Tom Marquand riding Red Zone Hero for Michael Bell. Andrew Balding's Spanish Phoenix and the once-raced Roman Emperor complete the field.

Bottomless ground has turned what was already a wide-open contest into somewhat of a lottery. A couple of Saturday's runners bring soft-ground-winning form to the table, including SPANISH PHOENIX, who bolted up in a soft-ground maiden at Leicester back in April.

Andrew Balding's charge ran on well to finish fourth of 12 down his side of the track in the Coventry at Royal Ascot. Spanish Phoenix was then stepped up to seven furlongs, but failed to see out that distance at both the July Festival and Glorious Goodwood.

James Doyle's mount hasn't been seen since that last-place finish in the Vintage Stakes, meaning he comes into this contest nice and fresh. Balding must hold this son of Phoenix Of Spain in high regard, given he ran him in three prestigious Group Twos. He might be one of the least fancied in the field, but if Spanish Phoenix deals with the ground, he has every chance of challenging.