Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Saturday, May 15

Conditions at Newbury are in the lap of the gods with more rain forecast — a scenario which may not delight connections of Palace Pier. 

Understandably labelled as Europe’s premier miler, the John Gosden-trained son of Kingman has tasted defeat only once in a stellar seven-race career, with that reverse sustained at Ascot when he lost a shoe on filthy ground in last season’s QEII Stakes.

There is probably a great difference between soft ground at the Berkshire venue and deep autumn ground, but for a miler with plenty of speed the prospect of deep conditions are not ideal.

The Gosden stable was also a little below par at the time of the QEII last October and they have also been a shade quiet of late, so there could be some licence to oppose Saturday’s hot-pot with LOPE Y FERNANDEZ (Newbury, 3.35).

Connections of the selection have finally discovered the best trip for the Lope De Vega colt, who probably did not know if he was coming or going last season.

Third in an Irish Guineas on his comeback, Lope Y Fernandez was then dropped in distance and sent sprinting as Ballydoyle searched for his optimum conditions.

Returning him to eight furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Mile proved a smart move, with Lope Y Fernandez chasing home a couple of stablemates to complete a 1-2-3 for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

A runaway comeback success at Leopardstown in a brilliant time confirmed a patient ride over a mile looks to be the way to go with the four-year-old and he should enjoy having front-runners Pogo and Century Dream drawn close to him.

The latter could definitely outrun his odds as he loves Newbury (course stats 411) and operates superbly on soft ground.

He also boasts a good record fresh and goes well for James Doyle.

Supporters of king ottokar (Newbury, nap, 3.45) must be running thin of patience. However, the five-year-old is a talented miler when conditions are right and I’m hopeful that a return to his favoured stomping ground can arrest his decline.

Unbeaten in both starts at Newbury, the selection will not mind how much it rains and can take advantage of a slipping mark in the finale.

Elsewhere, Jim Bolger-trained Poetic Flare, winner of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, lines up in tomorrow’s French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp. Opposition includes St Mark’s Basilica, the Aidan O’Brien-trained 2020 Dewhurst Stakes winner, and Archie Watson-trained Mehmento, the Greenham Stakes runner-up.

O’Brien’s Mother Earth, the 1,000 Guineas winner, runs in tomorrow’s French 1,000 with Christophe Soumillon riding.

Primo Bacio is 8-1 for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot for trainer Ed Walker after winning the Oak Farm Stables Fillies’ Stakes at York by three lengths. Walker has the favourite for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting in Starman, who won the Duke of York Stakes at the track on Wednesday.

Andrew Balding-trained Spanish Mission will head for a clash with Stradivarius in the Ascot Gold Cup next month after a two-and-three-quarter-length win from Santiago in the Yorkshire Cup at York. His odds have halved to 16-1. 

DONCASTER

Northerner – 7.35 Double Dealing (nap)

NEWBURY

Newmarket – 2.25 Al Aasy (nb); 3.35 Palace Pier (nap).

THIRSK

Northerner – 2.10 Ventura Rascal (nb)

NEWMARKET

BANGOR-ON-DEE

UTTOXETER