The Weekend Wager: Tips From Newbury, Market Rasen and Newmarket

After tipping up winner Native Trail in last week's Superlative Stakes, Steve Chambers is back for another edition of The Weekend Wager, and he heads to three meetings taking place on Saturday and picks out his best bets running at Newbury, Market Rasen and Newmarket...

14:25 Newbury - Bahrain Turf Series Handicap

Roger Varian's upwardly mobile ZEEBAND can continue to blossom over marathon distances on Saturday by taking victory in the Bahrain Turf Series Handicap, which is run at Newbury at 14:25. An impressive winner of the Northumberland Vase at Newcastle last time out, the four-year-old has been upped 8lb by the handicapper, and will now look to score off 96, which looks completely feasible should he be in similar form to that win in the north east.

The son of Sea The Stars kicked clear of his rivals that day, and while this is much tougher he could be the progressive horse in the field against a struggling bunch of rivals. The likes of Mark Johnston's Mildenberger and Roger Charlton's Withhold have some top notch form on their CV, but they have been failing to reach those dizzy heights on the track in recent times, and it's the young gun that can strike.

Hugo Palmer's Margaret Dumont chased home Zeeband at Newcastle, but while better off at the weights, will struggle to reverse the form, while Rodrigo Diaz is a progressive horse taking his chance, but just lacks the scope the favourite has in what can see him record another success.

14:40 Market Rasen - Summer Plate

The UK summer jumping showpiece will light up Market Rasen on Saturday afternoon at 14:40, and a cracking field will do battle in the Summer Plate Handicap Chase, which is off at 14:40. Lining up as the market leader is the Dr Richard Newland-trained CAPTAIN TOM CAT, who has been in red-hot form this season, and he can make it four wins on the bounce by storming to glory in the National Hunt feature.

A brace of wins at Worcester in novice chase company has highlighted Captain Tom Cat's talents over the larger obstacles, and returning to the handicap sphere on a mark of 147, the six-year-old can deliver the goods once again. He will face some notable rivals with the likes of Darling Maltaix and Solomon Grey both looking major players in a thrilling betting heat, but Newland's charge could continue to blossom in the sunshine, and he can hand favourite backers a roaring victory.

14:55 Newmarket - Fine Watch Club Handicap

A trappy betting conundrum will test punters at Newmarket at 14:55 on Saturday afternoon, as all eight runners lining up in the Fine Watch Club Handicap will fancy their chances of bagging victory. Finest Sound, Stunning Beauty and Irish Admiral all sit prominently in the market and deserve a second look, but it's the Richard Hannon-trained BEAT LE BON that can down his rivals.

He will have the burden of top weight to contend with, but Beat Le Bon was last seen running a mighty race when fifth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, and if he can just find a little bit more improvement from that effort then he stands a terrific chance. Beaten by Stunning Beauty earlier in the season at Doncaster, Beat Le Bon is better off at the weights this time around, and he's back to his last winning mark of 104 for this event.

That victory game in the Golden Mile Handicap at Glorious Goodwood back in 2019, so while he's been on a long losing streak, he shaped with real promise last month at the Royal meeting, and with Thore Hammer Hansen taking a valuable 3lb off his back then he can return to the winner's enclosure at Flat Headquarters.

15:40 Newbury - Weatherbys Super Sprint

Richard Hannon has trained three of the last seven winners of the Weatherbys Super Sprint and he will look to enhance that spectacular record on Saturday and saddles the exciting GUBBASS in the 15:40 contest at Newbury. The Mehmas colt was a eye-catching winner of a mediocre Leicester novice event on debut, but he's sure to come on significantly for that effort and he looks to be decent value against the two market leaders.

Impressive Windsor Castle Stakes winner Chipotle is a red-hot favourite for this event, and he shaped like a real speedball in that Royal Ascot success, while there's another exciting juvenile prominent in the betting in the shape of Vintage Clarets, who was an excellent third behind Berkshire Shadow in the Coventry Stakes. With proven form at a high level, that pair deserve to be well clear in the betting, but in Gubbass there's a youngster ready to shine on the big stage and enhance Hannon's record here.

The form of that Leicester race has been boosted with the third placed contender Angel Bleu going on to win two on the bounce, but ultimately failed to land the hat-trick in the Coventry Stakes, and while an absence since his debut is a slight worry, Gubbass looks to have a glistening career ahead of him, and he can cause a minor shock here.