Symphony Group Stakes Tips & Betting Preview

A super speedy five-furlong dash to start the card though punters beware, in the seven renewals so far we are yet to see a single winning favourite though of course, statistics are there to be broken. Looking back at those past records and we do note that Kevin Ryan has won two of the last three renewals with Bogart and Blaine, and any race preview worth the name needs to start with Lexington Abbey (10/1 Each Way) for that reason alone (plus we really like his chances). After winning at Nottingham on his return over this trip he finished third to Tangerine Trees at the same venue and then finished half a length third to Royal Birth at Ascot, with his last race a three and a half length fifth behind Kimberella when tried again over six furlongs and looking a bit one paced. Dropped back to his favoured five furlongs again this afternoon and with Jamie Spencer in the saddle he must have a rock solid chance of success for the fifth time off the same rating of 95 as when he last won in April.

Using common sense, the next horse worthy of a mention is Tony Carroll’s Boom The Groom (11/1), the only runner in the field to have won his last race. Last time out at Goodwood he put in a career best effort to see off Thesme by half a length off a handicap mark of 98 but an extra four pounds today won’t help his cause even with Andrea Atzeni replacing Adam Kirby in the saddle.

We mention that in passing because although we are aware that Adam is contracted to ride for Clive Cox, he will also have had an input regarding the chances of Soapy Aitken (40/1) with an accurate assessment of his percentages of beating Boom The Groom. The fact that he still runs suggests they think the three-year-old may well have the edge, though on form that does look a bit questionable. After winning a maiden and a novice event in his first two races he has failed in seven further races but did at least try Listed class at Sandown (when fourth to Easton Angel) and in Group Three company at the same track (when tenth of twelve to Brando), though his last of ten to Kadrizzi in the Shergar Cup sprint after going off way too fast leaves him with plenty to find in our book here.

We know a name isn’t enough in itself but the superbly titled Hay Chewed (25/1) has bits and pieces of high quality sprinting form for Newmarket trainer Conrad Allen, and arrives here with a place chance at least with Noel Garbutt taking a valuable three pounds off his back. At her best she won a Listed race over this trip at Ayr in June 2014, though she needs to find a way to repeat that sort of effort and not her sixth of eight to Kingsgate Native last Tuesday.

Last but not least we have Bowson Fred (12/1) for the Mick Easterby yard as he looks to add to the wins he already has this season at Musselburgh and Chelmsford. Since then he has still placed three times and was only a length behind Boom The Groom last time, who he meets today on one pound worse terms, but his trainer likes a winner here and that form could yet be reversed today.