Following a week’s absence, The Top Three is back to take a look at the July Festival Meeting live on ITV Racing.
In the lead-up to this year’s highlight meeting at the Newmarket July course, clerk of the course, Michael Prosser, has irrigated 12mm onto the track with some showers expected to hit over the next 24 hours, something that makes betting difficult because there is an unknown about how the course will ride until that first race is done.
Anyway, hopefully, the ground remains good for my two fancies on day 1 in Newmarket.
1:50 Newmarket – TOWER OF LONDON @ 15/8 with William Hill – 3pt WIN
The opening race of the meeting is the Bahrain Trophy Stakes and the favourite, Tower of London, is a horse I like a lot.
By the super-sire Galileo out of Dialafara, making him a full-brother to the St Leger winner Capri and Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle victor Brazil, this Aidan O’Brien-trained three-year-old was impressive in the Ulster Derby last time out.
⭐️ Lovely prospect
Tower Of London is all class as he lands the feature @BoyleSports Ulster Derby for team @Ballydoyle & Killian Hennessy @Downroyal pic.twitter.com/a7ZanAvXKy
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 24, 2023
He won that 1m5f contest off a mark of 99, and even with Killian Hennessy claiming seven pounds off his back he still ran to a good number on RPR ratings so on that alone, he has to have a great chance.
His biggest danger by far is Saint George based on that second to Gregory in the Queen’s Vase, however, I don’t know how strong the form is yet and he was a bit weak in the finish at Royal Ascot.
Taking this all in, the 2/1 is a fair price for Tower Of London.
3:00 Newmarket – REDEMPTION TIME @ 22/1 with BetVictor – 1pt EW
Just over an hour later, the bet365 Handicap offers plenty of value in the 17-strong field on day 1 of the July Cup meeting.
And at 22/1 with BetVictor, Redemption Time is the horse I am a fan of at the prices.
Although it is a competitive affair, a look back at his last run shows that he was staying on at the finish behind a few horses that reappear again, and he remains off a workable mark of 87 tomorrow.
Furthermore, on his two-year-old form, that mark in the mid-80s looks lenient considering he got to within two lengths of the 108-rated Holguin on debut and finished third to Noble Style, with Guineas runner-up Royal Scotsman three-quarters of a length behind, at Ascot on his second start.
Lovely turn of foot on debut! Kingman colt Noble Style wins in nice style first time out at @Ascot for @the_doyler, Charlie Appleby and @godolphin… pic.twitter.com/AnLHGPExvw
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 7, 2022
That form reads extremely well and hopefully, he can be competitive at big odds for Clive Cox and Ray Dawson.
