Newmarket‘s prestigious July Festival kicks off on Thursday and four races will be joined by one from Carlisle live on ITV. There’s some competitive racing to sink your teeth including strong Group 2 action. Liam Bramall has selected three runners at big prices whose chances may be stronger than their odds suggest. Check out our free tips page for daily content and coverage across British and Irish racing.
Harry Time (20-1, Paddy Power) is an interesting contender here. There’s plenty to like about the form of his win on debut. He did the job nicely, especially as the front four all look fairly useful and the fourth placed horse is a subsequent winner. If ridden with more restraint here, he can finish much stronger than he did in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen.
Iris Dancer (14-1, William Hill) has been very consistent so far this season. In five runs so far, she’s yet to finish worse than fourth. Her last win came at Hamilton over 6f in May and this suggests that stiff finishes aren’t a problem which is important here. It’s difficult to make the case that she won’t run her race again which makes her current price very appealing.
Admiral D (25-1, bet365) had some very solid juvenile form when trained in Ireland. This includes a very comfortable victory in a valuable nursery at Naas. His two runs for Richard Fahey have been less impressive. However, this has caused his handicap mark to drop to 93 having been as high as 97. I suspect that he was bought with the intention of winning a big prize and this £100,000 race fits the bill.
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