ITV Racing Tips: Hurricane can strike a blow for punters in Weatherbys Super Sprint

Saturday's ITV Racing offering brings eight races, with the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury and the Unibet Summer Plate at Market Rasen amongst the highlights.

The ITV broadcast features eight races, four from Newbury and three from Market Rasen alongside the Juddmonte Irish Oaks from the Curragh.

We've picked out a trio of runners from the terrestrial action on Saturday that may be worth following.

Tip 1: Regional – Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes (Newbury 14:57)

The class-dropping Regional may have been found a perfect opening here by trainer Ed Bethell in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The now seven-year-old had his biggest day when bagging the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock over 6f (good) in September 2023.

He had two excellent seconds at the Curragh and Royal Ascot to start last season but wasn't spotted again after finishing fourth behind Elite Status (winner) and Kind Of Blue (third) in this race.

That duo have major questions over them based on two runs each this season, whereas Regional returns here after really strong runs in Group 1s at Meydan in April and Royal Ascot last month.

If he replicates that effort from the King Charles III Stakes he could be a tough nut to crack up in trip / down in grade.

Tip 2: Ballysax Hank - Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase (15:12 Market Rasen)

Gavin Cromwell's raiders to the UK are always to be noted and he fires the lightly-raced Ballysax Hank at the Summer Plate in Market Rasen.

The six-year-old won a beginners' chase at Downpatrick (2m3½f, good) in March on only his second start over fences.

Most recently, he has made the frame in a couple of competitive handicaps over hurdles at Punchestown in April and this month at Bellewstown.

This is the longest trip he has attempted and he promises to be well suited. He has plenty of scope for improvement and has a lovely racing weight and the booking of Harry Cobden – who has ridden the last two winners of this Premier Handicap – is a big positive.  

Tip 3: Havana Hurricane - Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes (15:30 Newbury)

A field of 20 for the Super Sprint at Newbury but it may not be anything like as competitive as the numbers suggest and the criteria for the race means that it sets up to be a fine opening for Eve Johnson-Houghton's Havana Hurricane.

The Havana Gold colt has figures of 121 in three starts thus far. He was a taking debut winner at Goodwood in May over 5f and then found only the favourite Maximised too strong in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom's Derby meeting.

He has since backed that up by landing the 5f Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, coming home strongly from the rear and really bounding clear inside the final 100 yards under a textbook ride from Charles Bishop as they accounted for a field of 22 rivals.

That is much the best form on offer and the quirks of this valuable contest mean it's his price tag that decrees what weight he'll carry, with 8st 13lb surely presenting a gilt-edged offering.