blogitv racing preview 19 july newbury market rasen curragh

ITV Racing Preview for 19 July – Newbury, Market Rasen & Curragh on Broadcast

17 July 2025
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.
All posts by Michael Lee
Betting Expert

We independently review betting sites. Sign-ups through our links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, this never influences our listings’ order.

ITV Racing 19 July preview includes Newbury races

More variety on show through ITV Racing and their Saturday, 19 July broadcast with action across both codes from Newbury, Market Rasen and the Curragh. Headlining the action is the Group 1 Irish Oaks for three-year-olds fillies.

More competitive races lie away from the Emerald Isle of when the cameras aren’t rolling, though. Newbury has a valuable Sales Race for juveniles, plus a Group 3 sprint, long-distance handicap and mile-and-a-quarter Listed event on its card.

At Market Rasen, meanwhile, it’s Ladies Day and that means the Summer Plate and Hurdle. Both are handicaps which attract some of the best “summer jumpers” to run outside the Lincolnshire market town.

We’ve even thrown in on some bonus content this week with our horse racing experts previewing two Group 2s from the Curragh either side of the Irish Oaks. While you can’t view either on ITV Racing, the Sapphire Stakes and Curragh Cup offer something to hands of sprinters and stayers respectively.

Whatever appeals most to you, our experts know all the form and seek value from that and the available odds via online horse racing bookies in the UK and Ireland. That’s the case every single Saturday and this one is no different.

The test this week is crossing code from both National Hunt action and plenty still from the Flat as we all enjoy midsummer in the British Isles. Read on to discover our experts’ analysis for the best of the races.

ITV Racing Preview for 19 July from Newbury, Market Rasen & Curragh

1:50 Newbury – Listed 1m 2f Steventon Stakes

Rashabar silks No course winners on show in the opener, but the three-year-old RASHABAR has twice placed here including when runner-up in the Greenham on reappearance. Now dropped in grade and upped in trip after contesting Pattern races on his last six starts, the extra distance could open up new avenues for him.

This is because of the stamina in Rashabar’s pedigree from the distaff side. His dam, Amazonka, is by Camelot out of a Adlerflug mare, so it’s worth exploring middle-distance events like this. With four top four finishes in Group 1s and him receiving 9lb weight for age from the entire field, Rashabar looks worth a punt.

Best of the older horses, meanwhile, could well be Enfjaar. He ran fourth in this grade in the ultra-competitive Wolferton Stakes during Royal Ascot. As Listed races go, Roger Varian’s Shadwell gelding by Lope De Vega has much less on his plate here. Okeechobee is very lightly-raced, meanwhile, but has clearly been tricky for Harry Charlton to train.

Godolphin giving Ancient Wisdom a gelding operation probably won’t solve his issues as he needs a lot more cut in the ground than here. Similar comments apply to Bolster, who couldn’t win a handicap over course and distance off 105 in September. Meydaan shaped like the Glorious Stakes at Goodwood could be right up his street earlier in the season, so is best watched now.

2:05 Market Rasen – 2m 4f 139y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-135)

Resplendent Grey silks It’s hard to get away from topweight DEPLOY TO SPY in the first race from Lincolnshire on ITV Racing. Olly Murphy’s seven-year-old remains lightly-raced for his age and now has cheekpieces on for the first time. Deploy To Spy is four from six in completed hurdles starts and may have a good opening to add to that.

Benvoy ended last term on a high with consecutive wins, but now has an 11lb higher mark for beating fellow four-year-olds around Ascot. He now faces his elders again for Jo Davis, but Gavin Sheehan keeps the partnership intact as connections seek a hat-trick.

Of the others, Mostly Sunny ran well in a higher grade over this trip in April. Dan Skelton now books a 7lb claimer to take weight off his back. Before Plumpton success and an excellent Sandown second, however, Mostly Sunny was behind Porter In The Park around Ludlow.

2:25 Newbury – 2m 110y Class 2 BetVictor Handicap

This long-distance handicap that used to be the Marsh Cup isn’t much of a race at all. Andrew Balding could well end up with another ITV Racing winner here courtesy of Wild Waves. The suspicion is well-weighted stable companion Contacto could want softer ground also.

Recent course and distance winner ALMUHIT is only 1lb out of the handicap, however, and better each-way value. This does demand more of Faye Bramley’s new recruit, but he won off 92 when previously trained in Ireland. In a race where Almuhit faces so few in-form rivals, he could be worth chancing each-way.

The other course winner in the line-up is Hughie Morrison runner Kyle Of Lochalsh. He could only manage third in this race 12 months ago off the same mark of 97 and sent off joint-favourite. Cases are even harder to make for the remainder.

2:40 Market Rasen – 2m 125y Class 2 Summer Handicap Hurdle

Goblet Of Fire silks Sir Galahad now tackles his elders in front of the ITV Racing cameras, but four-year-olds have a poor record in this. Swinton third GOBLET OF FIRE should go well off an unchanged mark, however. Nicky Henderson’s charge is perhaps better on sharper clockwise tracks.

Joining Goblet Of Fire on the shortlist is last year’s winner Castel Gandolfo, who is better off with re-opposing runner-up Kihavah. The latter has topweight, but Fergal O’Brien runs an eight-year-old with a Summer Hurdle record of 221. His yard also has Oslo off 10st 2lb.

James Owen saddles four in the contest with Cavern Club perhaps the pick of that quartet. All of the stables runners have had recent spins on the Flat. Similar 39comments apply to Paul Nicholls’ Brave Knight and Moon Chime. Time Interval has been in good form in recent weeks too.

3:00 Newbury – 6f Group 3 Hackwood Stakes

Fair Angellica silks This is a minefield and last weekend’s July Cup provided a lesson on ITV racing to viewers how open the sprint division is. Khaadem will love the forecast fast ground, but he hasn’t run for over 300 days and, aged nine now, will probably need it. Fellow ratings topper Kind Of Blue prefers a softer surface, however, and Regional thus looks the most solid of the 110+ horses.

First-time cheekpieces on last year’s winner Elite Status could certainly eke out improvement and prove a good call from Karl Burke. Owen Burrows, meanwhile, fits Jarraaf with blinkers now too seeking a third success in five seasons. Again, they could easily have the desired effect. There is a filly unbeaten over this trip on turf, though, and FAIR ANGELLICA hails from the July Cup winning yard of Richard Hughes.

Punters must forgive her abject display on the All-Weather last time, but Kind Of Blue also flopped on that occasion. Fair Angellica is a dual Listed winner that stays further, looks unexposed on grass at this distance and thus could be a bit of each-way value in a division lacking standout and reliable performers.

3:05 Curragh – 5f Group 2 Sapphire Stakes

Amo Racing silks alt cap Disappointing turnout for a race in this grade and not on the ITV Racing broadcast as a result, but a bonus from our experts. Mgheera is a mare in form and thus commands respect. However, she must concede weight to Amo Racing’s youngster ARIZONA BLAZE. Three-year-olds have won four of the last seven editions of the Sapphire Stakes.

Not only that, but Arizona Blaze only went down by a neck in the Commonwealth Cup last time. The fourth has won since and seventh ran a blinder when runner-up in last weekend’s July Cup. Now back on home turf, Arizona Blaze can capitalise on the terms of this race favouring him.

Mgheera has a penalty for previous success at this level around Haydock. That Temple Stakes form isn’t too shabby either with third, fifth and sixth Rumstar all subsequently scoring. Completing the shortlist is another for the home team, however, in Andrew Slattery’s Powerful Nation following Listed success around Cork the last day.

3:12 Market Rasen – 2m 5.5f Summer Plate

Statuario silks Courtland silks Now to the Premier Handicap Chase on ITV Racing where the Bowen yard’s pair COURTLAND and STATUARIO look worth hedging on. Both are no strangers to Market Rasen having placed in this before and thus each-way value. Last year’s winner Sure Touch lacks a recent run, but first-time cheekpieces go on and he went well fresh 12 months ago off 1lb higher than now.

Leading the Irish challenge in the Summer Plate are Gavin Cromwell’s Ballysax Hank and Ross O’Sullivan runner Ceanndana, despite the latter running from 5lb out of the handicap and 9lb wrong with his chase mark in the Emerald Isle. Dan Skelton runs three with stable jockey and brother Harry riding Riskintheground, whose best form is all left-handed, and the other two out of the weights.

Framing the handicap, meanwhile, is Emma Lavelle veteran Hang In There, another past course and distance winner. The Flier Begley landed the official trial for this from Vintage Fizz, so both of them cannot be ruled out. Henderson fits cheekpieces on Bhaloo, but jumping has often been his Achilles heel.

3:30 Newbury – 5f Weatherbys Super Sprint

Havana Hurricane silks Always reluctant to give juvenile selections before Goodwood, the big Sales Race on ITV Racing sees Windsor Castle winner Havana Hurricane a red-hot favourite. In a 20-runner field, and with no idea if any draw bias exists, the value lies in taking Eve Johnson Houghton’s smart prospect on.

There are two more last time out winners to consider here in bottom weight OUR CODY and Richard Fahey’s Cotai Belle. As the latter seeks her hat-trick, she’s a filly in form. Our Cody also brings collateral juvenile Black Type form to the table with her second to Venetian Lace on the All-Weather before bolting up down at Windsor.

The Hannon family have strong links to this Sales Race with Richard senior responsible for its creation. Between them, he and Richard junior boast 11 wins in it, so anything the yard saddles is worth a closer look. Raakeb and Logi Bear, the mount of William Buick, are most interesting of three representing the stale in it this year.

As the market also speaks in favour of Rod Millman’s Anthelia and Ali Shuffle for Nick Bradley Racing Syndicates, both cannot be ruled out. There are even more last time out winners in the field too. Into this bracket go Big Fun, Irish Fighter and Sands Of Spain. In any other season, without a Royal Ascot hero bought cheaply at auction in the line-up, this would be wide-open.

3:40 Curragh – 1m 4f Group Irish Oaks

Derrick Smith silksA poor edition of the fillies’ Classic, but it makes the ITV Racing broadcast and MINNIE HAUK the clear pick of Ballydoyle’s quartet. Aidan O’Brien has three others who can make the running and set it up for her to complete the Epsom-Irish Oaks double. Minnie Hauk has nothing to fear from re-opposing fourth Wemightakedlongway here.

That Epsom form received a huge boost when the unlucky runner-up Whirl came out and landed the Pretty Polly here at the end of last month. Joseph O’Brien saw Wemightakedlongway rally into fourth behind that one in the same race, but there’s clearly something to find with the long odds-on favourite here.

Nonetheless, with remainder either maidens or racing off ratings in the 80s and 90s, anything other than an authoritative Minnie Hauk victory will be a disappointment. On all known form, the other five play for third place at best.

4:15 Curragh – 1m 6f Group 2 Curragh Cup

Al Riffa silks Also not on ITV Racing, but AL RIFFA is a Group 1 winner without a penalty over a mile-and-a-half in Germany where horses must stay to win big races. He’s the pick of three from the Joseph O’Brien stable, because Uxmal hasn’t run for more than a year and Leinster has lots to find on ratings. Al Riffa has stamina in his back pedigree.

He also brings top form to the table after chasing home the globetrotting Rebel’s Romance in the Hardwicke Stakes during Royal Ascot. Shackelton is the mount of Ryan Moore, but he disappointed when only fourth in the Queen’s Vase at the same meeting and then ran a poor eighth in the Irish Derby. If Ballydoyle stable companion Queenstown has come on for his reappearance, then the pick of last season’s form reads well in relation to this.

Harbour Wind is another five-year-old with possibilities now that trainer Dermot Weld and owners Moyglare Stud step him back up in trip. O’Sullivan mare Drawn To Dream ran a blinder at Fairyhouse when runner-up in the Stanerra Stakes over this trip 10 days ago, but this is no easier against the boys. London City completes the O’Brien family sextet for Aidan.

Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael Lee
Betting Expert

Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.

Was this article helpful?
0

Recent Posts