Saturday's Best Bets

SATURDAY SELECTIONS:

DONCASTER: 2.05 Arley Hall, 2.40 So Wise, 3.10 Ted's Brother, 3.45 Mia's Boy, 4.20 Fathom Five, 4.55 Abacist, 5.30 Bollin Greta, 6.00 Veiled Applause

LINGFIELD: 5.40 Hand Painted, 6.10 Nine Before Ten, 6.40 Vital Gold, 7.10 Eastern Gift, 7.40 Exchange, 8.10 Black Pond

MARKET RASEN: 5.50 Nordwind, 6.20 Book'em Danno, 6.50 Golden View, 7.20 Saddlers Deal, 7.50 Saute, 8.20 Stand Clear

NEWBURY: 2.00 Elna Bright, 2.30 Rougemont, 3.05 Times Up, 3.40 EXCELEBRATION (NAP), 4.15 Lulla, 4.50 Dance Company, 5.20 Shamdarley, 5.55 New Code

NEWMARKET: 1.40 Go Dutch, 2.15 Pimpernel, 2.45 Silver Rime, 3.20 Blanche Dubawi, 3.55 Classic Punch, 4.30 Our Gal, 5.05 Protaras

RIPON: 2.20 Zakreet, 2.55 Prince Of Dance, 3.30 Addictive Dream, 4.05 Hot Sugar, 4.40 Izzy The Ozzy, 5.15 Hills Of Dakota, 5.45 Korngold

TRAMORE: 5.25 Gra Geal Mo Chroi, 6.00 Jazz Girl, 6.30 Regal Tramp, 7.00 Bazergan, 7.30 Paramount, 8.00 Grand Cru, 8.30 Dorset Square

DOUBLE: Excelebration and Addictive Dream

Excelebration looks poised to take advantage of a handy weight allowance in the CGA Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

Much has been made of the dominance of three-year-olds this season, with Marco Botti's representative taken to follow the trend in Berkshire.

The Exceed And Excel colt has made quite a splash in six careers starts, with a runaway victory in the German 2000 Guineas the unquestionable highlight.

That said, perhaps his two efforts in defeat against Frankel deserve to be polarised with even greater magnitude.

Although he might have been flattered to get to within two and a quarter lengths of Sir Henry Cecil's brilliant colt in the St James's Palace Stakes, the ground in which he made up following a tardy start was rather beguiling.

As, too, was his effort in the Greenham over this course and distance, when he was the only horse in the field who could get to within the same parish of Frankel (the third home, Shropshire, was another six lengths away).

That form alone puts him bang in the frame for this assignment, but the fact he gets upwards of 2lb from nine of 11 rivals adds further resonance to his case.

Three-year-olds tend to do well in the Hungerford, with Botti also taking no chances by deploying a pacemaker.

Just like in virtually every other race that has been competed this season, the royal formlines with Frankel are unlikely to be devalued after this Group Two affair.

The Michael Owen-owned Brown Panther is sure to be popular in the CGA Geoffrey Freer Stakes, but a value preference is for Times Up.

John Dunlop's five-year-old last month made the leap into Pattern company with consummate ease, having just been denied in a Group Two in France last time.

He was done no favours by a soporific gallop that day, which should not be an issue at Newbury.

Admittedly not a box-office draw, Times Up is nonetheless tough, reliable, and clearly still progressing.

Addictive Dream can be considered a lively outsider for the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon.

The four-year-old sprinter has shown a good level of form in similar races this season, but has so far escaped the handicapper's full force.

And while he is 7lb higher than when successful over this course and distance in June, recent efforts would suggest Walter Swinburn's inmate can still win off a mark of 98.

That two-length Ripon triumph a couple of months ago has emerged pretty informative, with the runner-up Grissom, not to mention a host of also-rans, having since struck twice at a decent grade.

Swinburn was left to rue his misfortune at Ascot last weekend when Addictive Dream encountered no end of traffic problems before taking fifth spot.

That display was significant for two reasons, as the ground was quite testing in Berkshire, which may be the case at Ripon, while he also seemed energised by first-time cheekpieces.

Mia's Boy is a worthy ally in the One Call Insurance Handicap at Doncaster.

Chris Dwyer's likeable seven-year-old goes particularly well on Town Moor, and only succumbed by a head to Yaa Wayl at Newbury on his last outing in June.

That was Mia's Boy's first start since December, so he clearly goes well as a fresh horse.

Although he has not won since October 2009, the seven-year-old has gone close in far better races than this over the years, and is still in contention from a handicapping point of view.

Eastern Gift seemingly has plenty in his favour for the Bravo Social Enterprise Handicap on the Lingfield turf, with Blanche Dubawi set to bring home the double in the Premier League Kick Off On Skybet Mobile Stakes at Newmarket.

Wisest wager on Market Rasen's card could be the Henry Daly-trained Art Broker, who runs in the Allinson Print Novices' Hurdle.

Posted in: Sportinglife