Rockingham Stakes Tips & Betting Preview

Nine runnings so far have seen four winning favourites for a close to 50% strike rate and two wins for Tim Easterby though he is without an entry in 2016 so we need to look elsewhere for our winner. Those who blindly follow the handicappers’ ratings will like to know that Saeed Bin Suroor’s Silver Line (8/1) is the one to be on using the concept as he has made his way up to 106 following his fourth to Mehmas in the July Stakes on the other course here in Newmarket. Only beaten a length and a half that day it was perhaps an improvement on anything else he had achieved in his previous two starts though his third to Prince Of Lir in the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot can’t be too far behind. Last time out he did look as if he might have had enough for the season when last of ten to The Last Lion in the Middle Park Stakes, beaten ten lengths at the line, but that was a Group One and this is a Listed race so he is taking quite a drop in class.

Sticking with the ratings for now and with her fillies’ allowance the Andrew Balding trained Perfect Angel (7/1 Each Way) comes out next and only a pound adrift as well. Re united with jockey Martin Dwyer like in the old days, they will be trying to win a second race for the filly after her maiden win at Goodwood. Last time out she put up her best effort yet when runner up to Harry Angel in the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury and if she can improve even slightly for that (and she has only had four races so why not), then at these weights and with the stable continuing in good form she is the one we want to be on at these prices.

As we write David Elsworth’s Sir Prancealot filly Sir Dancealot (4/1) heads the betting and as she has already won two races this season we can sort of understand why. last time out she was stepped up to Group Three company and wasn’t disgraced at all with a three quarter length third to Larchmont lad when weakening close home over seven furlongs and if that race didn’t take too much out of her she looks a major player again this afternoon.

Martyn Meade could be in for a very good weekend (he had a TV winner yesterday) with his better juveniles, and he will be looking for a big run from the once raced Ernststavroblofeld (14/1) who took a six furlong Yarmouth maiden at odds of 6/4 after some early market support. Held up that day he was brought with his run by Tom Marquand to win by a length and a quarter at the line but he needs to show some pretty serious improvement now as that did not look much of the race and he did not look that impressive.

To end with we need to mention Mark Johnston’s Rich And Famous (8/1) who was second on her debut at Goodwood before winning her maiden over this trip by a very easy three and a half lengths in August.  She made most of the running that day and the runner up has won since as has the third so it may have been a better race than it seemed at the time, and if she improves again she could yet take a big hand in the finish here.