The Weekend Wager: Four tips at Goodwood, Galway and Newmarket

With one winner last weekend (Guru 7/2 at Ascot), our in-house tipster is back with another helping of the Weekend Wager, and this time he visits three courses for his best bets of the weekend, as he tips from Galway, Goodwood and Newmarket...

13:35 Newmarket - Maritime Cargo Fillies' Handicap

A field of six line up for the 13:35 at Newmarket and the Steph Hollinshead-trained Al Simmo is bidding for a fourth win on the bounce in the 6f contest, but this looks her toughest test to date and with a career high mark to defy in this event she could prove vulnerable, despite receiving weight from all her rivals.

Grant Tuer's Restless Endeavour was an impressive winner last time out at Thirsk off a mark of 77, but upped 5lb for that success the four-year-old will have the burden of top weight here and can prove to be vulnerable to an improving sort, and one rival that fits that criteria is Adaay To Remember.

Very lightly raced with only three runs to her name, the Patrick Owens-trained three-year-old was last seen running an excellent race at Doncaster, where she was beaten by the smart Asjad. However, Adaay To Remember pulled over six lengths clear of the rest of her rivals that day, and now venturing into handicaps for the first time she can certainly capitalise on a mark of 80. Not out of the first two in her three races (won once), Adaay To Remember can continue her progression at Flat HQ and kick off our Weekend Wager on a winning note.

14:00 Galway - O'Leary Insurances Handicap

It's day six of the Galway Festival, and the action continues to come thick and fast from Ballybrit. There's a wide open renewal of the O'Leary Insurances Handicap taking place at 14:00, and the hugely consistent Celtic Crown is sure to prove popular amongst punters, as the four-year-old aims to build on a win at Killarney and a second placed finish at the Curragh this month.

However, it's his stablemate High Altitude that makes more appeal for the John Joseph Murphy yard, and the seven-year-old can build on a fine effort earlier in the festival and claim victory here. Fifth in a 7f event on Monday, High Altitude appeared to be staying on in the closing stages of that event, which suggests there could be more in the locker, and a step up to 1m 73y could be ideal for him to get his head in front.

Having been rated 87 earlier in his career, High Altitude is now 10lbs lower on 77, so if he can produce his best form and improve on his Ballybrit run from earlier in the week, then the son of Papal Bull can strike gold for the Murphy team and claim victory in this competitive betting heat.

14:45 Newmarket - British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes

Roger Varian's Save A Forest was last seen finishing a spectacular fourth in the Oaks at Epsom Downs, and a repeat of that display is sure to see her in with a chance of landing a blow in the Listed event at 14:45. The dropping of grade is sure to aid her chances of getting her head in front, but there are a flurry of lively rivals bidding for glory here in what is the feature race of the day at Newmarket.

Ralph Beckett's Yesyes has bagged a brace of novice events, and the daughter of Camelot is now facing her first major test now stepped up in company. She has shown to be a decent performer, but this will be a lot tougher, and she could be vulnerable to a more battle-hardened performer. One that fits that bill is the Charlie Appleby-trained Sayyida, who has been a revelation at Newmarket this season, and is returning to Flat HQ in search of a third win on the bounce there.

A winner of a novice event in the middle of May, the Dubawi filly then landed a handicap contest off a mark of 85, and she was definitely value for more than her one length winning margin that day. Rated 91 now, she will now be another stepping up into Listed company, and she will face her biggest test. However, with continual progression expected, and having shown she can produce the goods at Newmarket then Sayyida can outbattle her rivals and land the hat-trick of wins, and use this race as a springboard to Group company in the latter part of the season.

15:40 Goodwood - Stewards' Cup

There's very few tougher betting conundrums than the Stewards' Cup, but while this fiercely competitive renewal will have a plethora of trainers fancying their contenders there's one runner that stands out. That is the William Haggas-trained Hurricane Ivor, who heads into the contest on the back of a fine second in the Betfred Heritage Handicap at Ascot, and if he can just improve slightly from that performance then he can prove to be a cut above his rivals.

Prior to that Ascot performance he won a decent Sandown handicap event at the start of July, so he has shown he knows how to get his head in front. That Ascot defeat was very unlucky, as he found himself on the wrong side of the track, and was unable to get the better of Significantly, who benefitted from having some company in the closing stages. Winning the battle on his side of the track that day at Ascot, Hurricane Ivor will enjoy having company during the whole of this event, but if he can quicken like he did at Ascot then he can prove the suspicions try by being a Group horse in a handicap.

The likes of the progressive Fresh, Chil Chil and 2020 winner Summerghand are three of the main dangers in this contest, but in Hurricane Ivor there just seems to be a horse that can be a class above his rivals, and he can grab the limelight in the feature race of the afternoon.