ITV Racing Tips: Two To Back On Guineas Day

Flat fans are often in limbo as the season begins at Doncaster before a hiatus and then a sprinkling of good racing, but there can be no doubting this Saturday the flat properly takes over with the 2000 Guineas the first Classic of the season at Newmarket. The supporting card looks intriguing and ITV's cameras will be in town, with races from Goodwood and the Thirsk Hunt Cup also set to be televised. Billy Grimshaw has two recommended bets, one at HQ and the other at Thirsk...

14:40 Thirsk - Thirsk Hunt Cup

The Thirsk Hunt Cup is always a competitive affair and as I pen this piece, Sea Force and Blue Rc are vying for favouritism at around the 5/1 mark. I'd marginally prefer the former in here for William Haggas, with the Sea The Stars gelding's reappearance at Musselburgh looking a nigh on perfect prep run to get him spot on for this valuable handicap. Nevertheless, my selection is neither of the market leaders as I can make a case for plenty in here and as such don't think backing anything 5/1 or less represents great value.

Bellarchi is a horse I don't think we have seen the best of yet, despite him coming here on the hunt for a hat-trick, and at 12/1 he was very close to being my selection even after a hefty rise in the weights following his latest Musselburgh victory. I'd put nobody off at 12/1,, but I am going to side with Mick and David Easterby's A WAR EAGLE to back up his latest Beverley handicap win in this contest. 

Available to back at 14/1 in a place and 12s everywhere as I type, he looked to just about hold on to make all at Beverley from the fast finisher but on rewatching the race, he was idling at plenty of points up the Beverley hill and only seemed to really put his all in when challenged. This indicates to me he had plenty left in the tank and with this race having gone to the frontrunner last season on ground similar to this, good to firm which A War Eagle will love, I wouldn't be surprised to see a repeat.

I'd have preferred a low draw but he was rapid out of the gates at Beverley so hopefully repeats that here for Billy Garritty and bags the early lead. There may be one or two destined for bigger things that his sort of handicap who run him down, but I like his chances at the very least of hitting the frame and there is almost certainly more in his locker as he exemplified last time out when challenged and going again, so he rates a nice each-way play to kick things off.

14:55 Newmarket - Palace House Stakes

Asfoora has switched trainers over the course of the winter, leaving Henry Dwyer the Australian outfit to be housed full time in Britain with Lemos De Souza. She has been successful and consistent in the vast majority of her runs in this hemisphere and should she be in anything like the form of her Group 1 Abbaye success last time out to wrap up her 2025 campaign, she will be very hard to beat. Her price has lengthened markedly since I first looked at this contest, opening up 3/1 and now available to back at 11/2, and I just wonder if this run will be a cobweb blower for bigger targets down the line. Of course, even an 80% fit and firing Asfoora may be good enough to win this race, but I'll take her on.

The six year old QUINAULT still has an army of followers from his long winning run a few seasons ago when he rocketed up the ranks, winning most of the time wire to wire. He was not quite the same force last season, but does have race fitness on his side in comparison to plenty in here who are having their first run, and his three starts i 2026 have shown him potentially back to his best. He kicked off the season with a second place at Kempton which can have a line put through it as he missed the start so could not lead as he liked, yet he still ran on well to be best of the rest barring the winner and next headed to Doha to score in a local Group 3 out there.

That form is hard to weigh up however he at least showed his appetite was still there and didn't miss the kick this time, and las time out he was just a length behind the smart Run To Freedom here over six furlongs, which has always seemed to stretch him a touch. He has course form, runs on the board and fitness in his favour so while I've no doubt Asfoora is the best horse in this field, I will be backing Quinault each-way in the hope he can tough it out from the front once more here.