Newbury Horse Racing Tips for Saturday

Saturday's card at Newbury features the first open-age Group 1 of the British turf season, with the milers taking centre stage in the Lockinge Stakes. There are also plenty of Royal Ascot clues dropped on this card every year, often in the London Gold Cup.

The latest horse racing betting tips for Saturday's card at Newbury from the Racing Post's Keith Melrose.

Saturday's Newbury Horse Racing Betting Tips and Odds

14:25 – Pocklington @ 7/1
15:35 – Big Rock @ 9/4
16:10 – Wiltshire @ 9/4

14:25 – Pocklington @ 7/1

The Carnarvon Stakes was won last year by Shaquille, who had left faint 'good horse' vibes on the all-weather before he won at Newbury and afterwards went on to land the Commonwealth Cup and July Cup.

It would be asking a lot for POCKLINGTON to follow a similar trajectory. He is not as experienced as Shaquille was at this stage, for one. But this looks a weaker renewal of the Carnarvon Stakes, so he can translate the promise he has shown at Newcastle to a Listed turf race.

Pocklington is bred to be a classy sprinter. His dam won seven Listed and minor Group races and she is a half-sister to several prolific winners, most notably Hoof It. 

Pocklington is unbeaten in two runs at Newcastle six weeks apart early in the year. The second, in a four-runner race, hinted at a lot more to come. For a start, the race had a notably fast finish and his relatively slow stride for a sprinter ought not to have suited that sort of scenario. He strides long instead, which is something that tends to correlate with ability. 

Stepping up in trip could be on the cards for Pocklington and that is a minor concern. More pressing was the need to step him up in grade and he very much deserves a chance to earn his place in the Commonwealth Cup.

15:35 – Big Rock @ 9/4

Much has been made of BIG ROCK's move from the stable of Christopher Head to Maurizio Guarnieri. The two trainers' respective strike-rates are something of a worry - Head is operating at over 20 percent this year, while Guarnieri is just over five percent - but that is partly a reflection of Head's greater firepower. 

On the horse's reappearance in the Lockinge Stakes, the rational approach is to back him and revise our view according to results. If he were still trained by Head, Big Rock would likely be odds-on for this race, even with Inspiral in the field.

It is worth remembering how impressive Big Rock was in the QEII at Ascot in October. Clock-watchers were particularly impressed that he was able to sustain a seriously strong gallop in running out a six-length winner. He was clearly an improved horse to the one that had been beaten into second by Ace Impact and Inspiral earlier in the season.

If things do not go well for Big Rock, he will run out of excuses pretty quickly. The alternative is that his price for the Lockinge would go down as a historic missed opportunity for those who neglected to back him.

16:10 – Wiltshire @ 9/4

Entries for the Wokingham at Royal Ascot will come out next week. WILTSHIRE might be among the favourites if he lives up to expectations in this warm handicap.

He is one from one for the William Haggas yard, having won over course and distance a month ago. He got up on the line that day and has only gone up 2lb in the weights. It should have been more like 8lb.

For one, the form has worked out well with runner-up Chairmanoftheboard finishing placed in a good handicap at Newmarket. 

More than that, Wiltshire won in spite of Tom Marquand not being able to roust him into an effort until they were well inside the final furlong. He took off for just a few shakes of the reins and surely would have won by daylight with a clearer run.

On top of everything else, he was 14/1 that day on his debut for Haggas. That hardly rings out as an endorsement of his readiness. In other words, he was value for beating a good field by a clear margin when seemingly not quite fit on his first outing for a top yard. That is the sort of profile you want from a Wokingham favourite. It should be enough to win this race.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.