Have Your House On Spencer At Newmarket

Newmarket’s July Meeting kicks off today with a fascinating start as we build up to Caravaggio’s appearance in the July Cup on Saturday.

Have Your House On Spencer
Aidan O’Brien sends over Wisconsin, who was no match for Rekindling at the Curragh earlier in the month, for the opening Bahrain Trophy as Frankie has opted to take just two rides on the card and doesn’t ride Crowned Eagle for John Gosden in what looks a competitive renewal of the 1m5f Group 3 contest.

Atty Persse is the current market leader as Roger Charlton’s Royal Ascot winner looks to back up his King George V Stakes success here but Raheen House is preferred for Brian Meehan and Jamie Spencer.

As Atty Persse steps out of handicap company for the first time, Raheen House has been campaigned in stakes company on four occasions now and although winning none of those, the son of Sea The Stars has been competitive in each of them.

Success has eluded Raheen House since winning a York maiden last season before finishing fourth in the Racing Post Trophy, and this season he began by following Shutter Speed home at Newbury. His effort in the King Edward VII Stakes last time was a career best effort and hopefully he can build on that by stepping up another furlong here on slightly easier ground.

From Last To First
There’s £100,000 up for grabs in the big handicap of the day over six furlongs and the each-way choice here is Afandem.

Hugo Palmer’s horses have been running to a near 30% strike rate in the last couple of weeks and this four-time winner can hopefully see him hit the frame again in a wide open handicap.

Last time out on the all-weather at Newcastle, a first go on the artificial surface for the three-year-old, Afandem never landed a blow and was beaten out of sight, hence his odds of 33/1 for this assignment, but he’s better than that.

A winner over five furlongs and six, this will be his first return to six-furlongs in almost a year but with a handicap run under his belt now.

Afandem can exploit his mark which looks quite favourable on the basis of what he achieved as a juvenile.

That included a listed win in France on good to soft ground.

Afandem was started off this season in Group 3 company and while connections have lowered their expectations for now, they can hopefully be rewarded with a big run in a race worth six figures.

Buick To The Front
A field of seven go to post for the feature Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Arqana Racing Club Stakes but Frontiersman looks the stand out candidate for success.

Charlie Appleby had to settle for second and third behind Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom and the trainer would surely love a 1-2 here with Frontiersman and Hawkbill in either order but you can expect the form to be franked.

Frontiersman was the bigger priced of the two at Epsom but that role is reversed here and he should be expected to maintain that level of form after Hawkbill failed to get near Zarak in Saint-Cloud and Frontiersman is aided with cheek pieces for the first time which will hopefully prove enough of an assist to see him pass the judge in front.

Recommended Bets:
Raheen House (3/1) – 1.50 Newmarket
Afandem EW (40/1) – 3.00 Newmarket
Frontiersman (EVS) – 3.35 Newmarket

*Prices correct at time of publication.