Racing Tips – Top Tipster Steve Mullen’s best racing selections for Saturday, August 5
Steve Mullen guides you through Saturday's racing from Goodwood, Newmarket, Doncaster, Thirsk, Lingfield and Hamilton
DRIVE a Stake through the bookies’ hearts in the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood (3.35).
STAKE ACCLAIM will like the tacky ground and comes here on the back of a series of excellent runs.
I’m getting my excuses in early though. With all the rain that’s been around, it’s hard to predict what effect the draw will have on his cavalry charge.
Usually you want to be low but trainers get to pick their own stall in this race — and some of the earliest ones out of the hat went for high berths.
Stake Acclaim is bang in the middle in 14 so will have the option of going either way depending on where the best ground is.
Or he could just go straight up the centre — whatever happens he has plenty in his favour at monster odds.
He was beaten less than a length at Windsor last time and might have been a lot closer but for being knocked sideways in the closing stages.
Some of his best form has come next to the Thames and he won there by a whopping four lengths in June. That was on holding ground and he went through it well.
The handicapper has left him alone for that latest solid effort and he can give us a good run.
If a high draw proves best, Sir Dancelot has big claims after his excellent second in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last time.
That race is over 7f but this drop back won’t be a problem because he’s blessed with plenty of pace. He’s 5lb lower in the weights than his run on the July course too.
The only question is whether he’ll handle the ground. We don’t know because he’s never raced on anything softer than good.
Similar comments apply to Projection who looks ideal for this after his third in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot last time. The ground is the question mark though.
From the low draws, Growl is taking a big drop in class after being beaten two-and-a-half lengths in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket last time out.
It’s a long time since he’s tackled a handicap and he’s got proven form in pretty much any conditions.
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His claiming rider gives him a chance at the weights and it would be no surprise to see him hit the frame.
If one big sprint wasn’t enough to keep us going, there’s another at 1.50 — for horses who were balloted out of the Stewards’ Cup.
SCORCHING HEAT has been sadly lacking at this year’s Glorious meeting but he can go close for Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy.
He showed great heart to be beaten a neck in a red-hot handicap at Newmarket’s July meeting last time. He tried his heart out there and was chinned right on the finishing line.
Steve Mullen's Glorious Goodwood tips
- 1.50 Scorching Heat
- 2.25 Jaameh (nb)
- 3.00 Mount Moriah
- 3.35 STAKE ACCLAIM (NAP)
- 4.10 Dee Ex Bee
- 4.45 Aventinus
- 5.20 Balmoral Castle
That was the latest in a string of good runs, with his best effort coming when winning in soft conditions at Salisbury in May.
He’s been on the podium at Ayr and Leicester since then and has battled right to the line each time. In these cloying conditions in a big field, that’s a quality that counts for a lot.
He runs off the same mark as last time and should be right there again.
Gin In The Inn went well at Pontefract just six days ago and is another who will be suited by conditions. He’s on a fair mark and has Ryan Moore in the saddle.
JAAMEH goes back over his favourite 1m6f trip in the 2.25 and can land another Goodwood win for Mark Johnston.
He found 2m too far in the Northumberland Plate and 1m4f too short at Ripon last time.
He likes any ground, from firm to testing, and has had a little nudge down the weights since his Newcastle run.
He won nicely the last time he tackled this distance and looks a big price to finish in the first three.
NEWMARKET
2.05 Pleasant Surprise
2.40 Tig Tog
3.15 Ruysch
3.50 Mojito
4.25 Love Dreams
5.00 Stamford Raffles
5.30 Timeless Art
DONCASTER
2.10 Key Bid
2.45 Wasim
3.20 Tribal Conquest
3.55 Mr Lupton
4.30 Another Eclipse
5.05 Spirit Of Rosanna
5.35 Granny Roz
THIRSK
2.15 Bow Belles
2.50 Whatsthemessage
3.25 King’s Coinage
4.00 Chiefofchiefs
4.35 Saint Equiano
5.10 Noble Conquest
5.40 Scofflaw
HAMILTON
6.00 Star Of Zaam
6.30 Equitation
7.00 Royal Conoisseur
7.30 Glenrowan Rose
8.00 Indian Chief
8.30 Devil’s Guard
9.00 Celestation
LINGFIELD
5.15 Masarzain
5.45 Astute Boy
6.15 Lord Of The Storm
6.45 Zalshah
7.15 Jazeel
7.45 Storm Melody
8.15 Sweet Pursuit