Middle Park Stakes Tips & Betting Preview

There is always a decent line up for this prestigious Group One contest and with Caravaggio out of the race the betting suggests this is all about Godolphin’s Blue Point (11/8). Talked of in Newmarket as something really special, he won first time out at Nottingham before destroying the field by eleven lengths at Doncaster after which he was talked up as the latest superstar of the equine world. Heading to Goodwood next he was sent off a fraction of odds on for the Richmond Stakes before running all over the place and being beaten a neck by Mehmas who seemed to want it more, leaving connections scratching their heads in disbelief. Sent to York when last seen on a recovery mission in the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes he settled a lot better before quickening up nicely for a three length success though in all honesty he still didn’t impress us as much as we all hoped he would, and today is his chance to show us just how good he really is.

Interestingly, Mehmas (5/1) is currently about four times his price, yet they meet on level terms today whereas Mehmas was giving away three pounds at Goodwood so the assumption must be that the Godolphin colt has improved and the Hannon colt hasn’t.  Admittedly he has been beaten since at The Curragh when four and a quarter lengths shy of Churchill in the Group One National Stakes though we feel he failed to see out the seventh furlong. A tigerish horse without the build to guarantee success as a three-year-old they need to win everything they can this season but it may just be that his market rival is getting the hang of things now and is the one of the pair to go on to challenge in the bigger races.

With Ryan Moore on board Peace Envoy (9/1) we have to assume he is the Aidan O’Brien first string, and they do report him to be in fine fettle. His form is rock solid with wins at Dundalk, Naas, and The Curragh, the latter in the Group Three Anglesey Stakes, which he followed with his best run yet when third in the Group One Prix Morny behind Lady Aurelia and only beaten a length at the line at Deauville, and a repeat of that on this better ground would give him every chance of a pale at the very least.

Early jockey bookings suggest Simon Crisford fancies Mokarris (12/1) to run well with Paul Hanagan on board and he is another with a chance of a place at the very least. So far the son of More Than Ready has won two of his four starts at Haydock and Newbury but was three lengths behind Blue Point in second last time out never really getting in a blow, and needs to find improvement from somewhere to take any kind of hand in the finish now.

To end with, Saeed Bin Suroor lets the lightly raced Silver Line (28/1) take his chance and after just the three starts there could be room for further improvement. After winning on his debut at Nottingham he finished third to Prince Of Lir in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and then fourth to Mehmas and Intelligence Cross in the July Stakes and isn’t too far behind the best of these on his best form and could well be the forgotten horse this afternoon.