Today’s FREE horse racing tips: Ascot, Haydock and Newmarket – Steve Mullen’s betting preview for ITV’s racing
Steve Mullen guides you through Saturday's racing at Ascot, Haydock and Newmarket while he also has tips for at Redcar, Chelmsford, Lingfield and Ayr
EL ASTRONAUTE is ready for lift off in the Shergar Cup Dash (1.05).
This team event isn’t for everyone but you don’t get many handicaps for this sort of money with just 10 runners.
Throw in the fact that many of the riders have no idea how to ride Ascot and there are a few cheeky bets to be had.
El Astronaute is partnered by top Irish pilot Pat Cosgrave who is familiar with the course.
The horse comes here on the back of an excellent third in a hot contest at Glorious Goodwood.
He likes this trip and should be able to keep it simple and go from the front in this relatively small field.
Line Of Reason will find this a lot easier than the cavalry charge he contested here last time. He had earlier won well at Ayr and is another who is well suited by this trip.
PLACE YOUR BETS Don't miss Sunracing's top tips for Saturday's Placepot at the Shergar Cup
MACHINE LEARNER knows his way around Ascot and can take the Shergar Cup Challenge at 2.15.
The Queen’s course has been a happy hunting ground for this five-year-old who won well here last time out. The visor he usually wears was left off that day and it proved a wise move as he kept pulling out more when asked.
The handicapper has been fair with a 4lb rise in the weights and he has been ridden by today’s pilot Fran Berry before, which is a plus.
Koeman won well over couse and distance last time and looks the main threat. Jockey Joao Moreira doesn’t have experience of the course, which is a tad off putting, but the horse knows his way home and could still be well handicapped.
Steve Mullen's Shergar Cup tips
1.05 EL ASTRONAUTE - Comes off an excellent third at Goodwood and should be able to go from the front in this small field
2.15 MACHINE LEARNER - Likes it at Ascot and a 4lbs rise in the weights looks more than fair for this in form horse
2.50 FIRE BRIGADE - Unlucky last time at Newcastle and was well fancied at Goodwood before pulled out before the race
4.00 SHAHEEN - 3lb penalty gives him good chance of going in again, Newmarket run still looks a real positive in the book
Humble Hero has been knocking on the door and was again only just over two lengths off the pace at York last time. With William Haggas’s horses in such excellent form, he must be a danger.
Gerald Mosse is one of our own these days given he’s based himself in the UK this season at the grand old age of 51.
He’s got plenty of miles around Ascot under his belt and can steer home FIRE BRIGADE in the Shergar Cup Mile at 2.50.
At first glance, his eighth place finish at Newcastle last time looks modest form but Michael Bell’s four-year-old was blocked off a couple of times and had a full tank of petrol crossing the line three lengths off the pace.
That built on a good run at Haydock where he was second with both those efforts coming off the same mark as today. He seems to go on any ground and this trip is right up his street.
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SHAHEEN looks a machine in the Shergar Cup Sprint (4.00).
It could be a good afternoon for Fran Berry and this could be his best ride of the meeting. John Quinn’s flyer has hardly put a foot wrong this season. The pick of his runs came when finishing second at Newmarket at the July meeting. That day he gave the winner too much rope in front but had the rest of the field well accounted for.
He underlined the promise of that run when scoring well at Windsor last time in similar company to this. That was over this 6f trip and a 3lb penalty gives him every chance of following up.
Helvetian was a solid fourth at Glorious Goodwood last time when he didn’t look entirely at home on the undulating track. He’s well handicapped on his best form and has Adam Kirby in the saddle
ASCOT
1.05 El Astronaute
1.40 Jukebox Jive
2.15 Machine Learner
2.50 Fire Brigade
3.25 Gossip Column
4.00 Shaheen
HAYDOCK
1.20 Ayutthaya
1.55 Mister Belvedere
2.30 Agrotera
3.05 Zaaki
3.40 Mountain Angel
4.15 Equitation
4.50 Toni’s A Star
NEWMARKET
2.00 Shambolic
2.35 Greenback Boogie
3.10 Danceteria
3.45 Pennywhistle
4.20 Ripp Orf
4.55 Petrus
5.30 Master Archer
REDCAR
1.10 Red Flower
1.45 Forward Thinker
2.20 Faadhel
2.55 The Armed Man
3.30 Acrux
4.05 Brother McGonagall
4.35 Calliope
5.05 Artic Niel
CHELMSFORD CITY
1.30 Toffee Galore
2.05 Choral Music
2.40 Reckless Endeavour
3.15 Lucymai
3.50 Cliffs Of Capri
4.25 True North
5.00 Sharp Operator
LINGFIELD
5.10 Matchmaking
5.45 Spirit Of Appin
6.15 Global Warning
6.45 Quick Recovery
7.15 Devils Roc
7.45 Vegas Boy
8.15 Aaliya
AYR
5.35 Lucky Violet
6.05 Fuente
6.35 Duncan Of Scotland
7.05 Oriental Lilly
7.35 Six Silver Lane
8.05 Naples Bay
8.35 Braes Of Lochalsh