Zechariah is ripe for compensation for a near-miss at Royal Ascot with a victory in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy (2.50) as Newmarket’s July Festival gets underway today.
The Freddie and Martyn Meade trainee finished plum last on his first two outings of 2022 but a nose second to Eldar Eldarov in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase – he was nailed on the line by the winner – was much more like it.
A reproduction of that effort will make Ryan Moore’s mount hard to beat.
Also second at Royal Ascot – he chased home all-the-way Hardwicke Stakes scorer Broome – MOSTAHDAF holds the aces in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Close Brothers Stakes (3.35).
Another silver medallist from the Royal heath, Coventry Stakes runner-up PERSIAN FORCE, is fancied to go one better in the Group 2 Close Brothers July Stakes (2.25).
Punters burned their fingers on INGRA TOR in a big sprint at York three Saturdays ago, but Mick Channon’s horse is worth another chance in the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap (3.00).
The ITV cameras are also rolling at Carlisle, where RUN THIS WAY looks set for another good account in the British EBF Fillies’ Handicap (2.45).
THURSDAY'S SELECTIONS
DONCASTER
1.00 SUFI
1.30 DUSKY PRINCE
2.00 JEANS MAITE
2.35 ENDEARED
3.10 SIR ROBIN
3.45 JUMP THE GUN
4.20 BUNGLEY
NEWMARKET
1.20 IVORY MADONNA
1.50 ZECHARIAH (NAP)
2.25 PERSIAN FORCE
3.00 INGRA TOR (NB)
3.35 MOSTAHDAF
4.10 MIGHTY ULYSSES
4.40 EVOCATIVE SPARK
CARLISLE
1.40 THE NAVIGATOR
2.10 HURT YOU NEVER
2.45 RUN THIS WAY
3.20 GAREEB
3.55 MONHAMMER
4.30 PERSIST
5.05 DANDY’S ANGEL
NEWBURY
5.38 THRAVE
6.08 WHISTLE AND FLUTE
6.38 AMERICAN IN PARIS
7.08 SPLENDENT
7.38 SPECIAL ENVOY
8.08 WAGGA WAGGA
8.38 JUAN LES PINS
EPSOM
5.53 CAIUS CHORISTER
6.23 BONNSIE
6.53 OTAGO
7.23 PRINCE OF BEL LIR
7.53 MUTARAAFEQ
8.23 RITA RANA
DOUBLE: ZECHARIAH and INGRA TOR
