Horse racing tips from Sporting Life and Timeform team

CITY HOUSE is worth a bet in the opening Jenningsbet 200 Shops Nationwide Handicap over six furlongs at Newcastle. There should be a very strong pace on here and that’s exactly what City House needs, especially over this distance given he is bred for further and has run half of his career over seven. However, he quite clearly looks better over six furlongs at this stage and he looks much better on an all-weather surface, too, given the top two efforts of his career both came at Kempton.

One of those was last time out where he was taken off his feet early, but he came home really well and it was a performance that suggested he can strike and soon. Up just 2lb, I’m not surprised James Fanshawe has identified Newcastle as a next step for him as it looks sure to suit and the Newmarket handler has an excellent 20% strike-rate here.

GORDON BENNETT – 1.45 Curragh (Billy Nash)

A big eye-catcher at this track on his most recent start, GORDON BENNETT appears to have lots in his favour as he bids to end a losing run that stretches back to September 2022. Having shaped well on his reappearance at Naas in May, he was beaten just over three lengths by Red Letter Bray last time, but essentially finished on the bridle having been stuck behind a wall of horses from two furlongs out.

He has won twice at this track and, though always likely to be a hostage to fortune given his style of racing, a plethora of front runners/prominent racers in this field means it should be set this up nicely for one that likes to come from off the pace.

There’s good-quality action at the Curragh on Saturday, headed by the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes and it looks a good race for betting purposes. Truly Enchanting is crying out for 6f and couldn’t be in better hands, but she looks a vulnerable favourite on what she’s achieved on the track, her effort in the Queen Mary a shade underwhelming in truth.

By contrast, CALIFORNIA DREAMER ran a belter at the Royal Meeting, fifth in the Albany and arguably a shade better than the result too, emerging with lots of credit having raced towards the far side.

That form is probably the best on offer and while high-achieving juveniles can improve at a rate of knots, California Dreamer is fourth in the betting at the time of writing and looks overpriced.

ZIMMERMAN – 2.35 Newcastle (Andrew Asquith)

All of ZIMMERMAN’s wins have come on turf, though his sole run on the all-weather came at this course over an inadequate mile as a two-year-old, and he should be well suited by the galloping nature of this track. Stamina appears to be his forte, and he probably arrives in better heart than his recent form figures suggest, shaping better than the bare result at Chester last time where he lost his position on the second circuit and at the same time as when the race was starting to develop.

Zimmerman has cheekpieces back on now, headgear he has worn for three of his four career wins, and should help him keep his concentration throughout. The demands this race will present should bring out the best in him and he remains on a fair mark.

Although his slightly awkward head carriage is a bit off-putting, the strength of JUNGLE MAC’s form means he ought to be given one more chance here. He was third behind the Britannia winner Mickley at Doncaster and then found just Treasure Time too good at Newmarket last week, the pair pulling well clear. Just a 3 lb rise for that looks lenient, while he’s ideally berthed for his usual front-running tactics with Franny Norton getting the call up.

LOCAL HERO – 3.40 Newcastle (David Ord)

He was impressive at Kempton on his last start and LOCAL HERO can strike a blow for the three-year-old generation.

Richard Hannon’s charge is up six pounds for the length-and-three-quarters defeat of Rich Harry but is upwardly mobile and impressed with the change of gear he showed to settle matters there. There’s more to come.

ELDRICKJONES – 3.40 Newcastle (Greg Spink)

ELDRICKJONES has an impressive record at Newcastle (form figures of 612151) and he looks a good bet to enhance that record further in the 3.40 at Gosforth Park. His efforts on turf in big-field handicaps the last twice haven’t gone as planned, but he’s patently a better horse on a synthetic surface and with Cieren Fallon riding at the top of his game, he’s worth an each-way play at a double-figure price at the time of writing.

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