A big day of racing at Yarmouth on Wednesday features the £70,000 John Musker Fillies’ Stakes, a Listed Race, which is due off at 15:41. Will Reilly previews all seven races and offers his best bets for the day.
Yarmouth Tips
- 14:31 Bidsta (NAP)
- 15:41 Rhapsody
- 16:12 Nizam
- 16:45 Shangri La
- 17:15 Ironist
– View our latest Horse Racing markets
13:56 – Sea Deer Handicap, 3yo+ rated 0-80, 6f
A nine-time winner, including over C&D on good to soft from a mark of 71 in May 2025, it would hardly be a surprise if Dark Side Thunder ran well here off 65. Akabusi has won from a mark of 73 and arrives here rated 70, on what will be his first run for a new stable. Massimo Blue has won his last two races and has been at his best on the AW so far. That said, he has run just twice on turf, in one of which he lost two shoes during the race. First-time cheekpieces could help Deluded. Nuevo Slovo has yet to build on his Ayr maiden win but has been lightly raced.
Stellar Vision has also been lightly campaigned and surely has better to come. Tyger Bay has won 14 races, 11 of them on the AW. King Of Chaos’s three wins so far have come on the AW. Lightly raced and from a very good stable, Hugh surely has better to come. Underwriter ran well when fourth at Ascot over 5f in July and has dropped 6lbs in the ratings and has been fitted with cheekpieces for the first time. He is of interest although is unproven on soft.
Flag Of St George was rated 77 when winning on good to soft over 7f 13 months ago and is now rated 76. Finally, Three Non Blondes has won three of her eight races and is just one pound above a winning mark in July here over 7f. She has, though, yet to be tested on going with ease in it.
Selection: As you can tell, many can be given a chance. See what the market says. Underwriter and Dark Side Thunder are offered as two against the field, but without huge confidence.
14:31 – British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes, 2yo, £11,000, 6f3y
Bidsta, the mount of Billy Loughnane, was narrowly beaten at Newbury on her debut and is the one to beat here. She cost 380,000gns at a breeze-up sale in April. Cuban Promise cost £62,000 as a yearling but showed little on her debut. Faith In Florence has run well on all three starts so far and she must surely win a contest like this at some point. Plastic Dream has shown promise on each starts so far over today’s trip and connections will be very hopeful of a good run.
Selection: BIDSTA
15:06 – EBF Future Stayers Maiden Stakes, 2yo, 7f3y, £22,500
Billy Loughnane rides a newcomer, Daddy Star, for trainer Richard Hughes. She cost €110,000 at the Arqana May Breeze-Up sale and is clearly one to consider. Chapel Stream cost €180,000 as a yearling but finished last of five on his debut. Cheekpieces are now fitted for the first time. William Haggas runs a newcomer, Divine Rhythm, who was bred by Newtown Anner Stud and sold for €120,000 as a yearling.
Check the market for clues. The same applies to Marhaba Athmani, a newcomer whose granddam is the Group 1 winner, Queen’s Logic. Andrew Balding also runs a newcomer, Nostalgic Warrior, who is by Sea The Stars out of a Kodiac mare that won a Group 3 race over 6f in Germany and produced the Joseph O’Brien-trained Listed winner Star Performer as her first foal. This is the second. Sir Mark Prescott’s Ortanique has finished unplaced on both starts.
Selection: It’s an interesting juvenile contest where the market could tell the tale.
15:41 – EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies’ Stakes, Listed Race, 10f237, £70,000, 3yo+
John and Thady Gosden run three in the card’s feature race, which they have won four times in the last ten years. Their runners include the 105-rated Morrophore, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore. Billy Loughnane will be on the same stable’s Seet, who looked promising when winning twice in May/June before then running well when seventh in a competitive Royal Ascot handicap. The Crisfords run Fairy Glen, who has won over €700,000 in prize money, having won Group 2 races in Meydan over 9f and as far as two miles. She is the highest-rated horse in the race on 112.
Orionis, one of two runners for William Haggas, has been found out in listed races since winning a Goodwood handicap. Haggas’s other runner, with Tom Marquand on board, is Rhapsody, who finished second in a Group 3 race at the Curragh before finishing second in a listed race at York last time.
Capichera (who is also rated 102) finished a short head behind Rhapsody at York (over 12f). She is very consistent. Sky Safari (rated 106) won the Winter Derby at Lingfield and does seem to like an all-weather surface. Della Pace has yet to build on her listed win at Goodwood in June, while She Commands has won three of her last four races, all of them coming on the all-weather.
Selection: It is not an easy race to decipher but, from an in-form stable, RHAPSODY could provide the answer.
16:12 – Goffs Two Million Series Handicap, 3yo+ (76-95), 9f21y
All eyes will be on Enoch here. By Frankel, he is a half-brother to five winners that include Almanzor, who was the champion 3yo colt of 2016, having won the French Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Qipco Champion Stakes that year. He is unbeaten in two runs, but only scrambled home at Lingfield over a mile in August. Connections have been patient and this will be his first run in a handicap.
Savvy Disko won twice before clipping heels and falling at Goodwood last time. We haven’t seen the best of him. Nizam cost connections €90,000 from France and will race for the first time in a tongue-tie and cheekpieces since joining trainer Ian Williams. A return to his French form of last year would make him interesting. Andrew Balding’s Point Of Contact is just one pound above a winning mark.
Selection: We’ll look for a bit of value away from the favourite and nominate NIZAM, unless the market is very negative. He will like the underfoot conditions.
16:45 – British EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap, 3yo+, rated 0-80), 1m3f104y, £15,600
Shangri La, whose dam liked soft going, has been running on the all-weather of late but might appreciate the return to turf. Princess Honey Bee gained reward for consistency last time by winning at Lingfield, although she is untested on soft. Willow Wood has won on good to soft and has been running quite well of late, while William Haggas’s Caraway was beaten three-quarters of a length over c/d last time and has been dropped a pound from that run so certainly cannot be ruled out of a good run.
Caraway is drawn in stall three and, remarkably, eight of the last ten winners of this race were drawn in stall 1, 2 or 3, including on both occasions when the word soft appeared in the going description.
Selection: We’ll take a chance on SHANGRI LA even though the favourite has won this race in six of the last nine years.
17:15 – Eastern Power Systems Fillies’ Handicap, 3yo+ (0-70), 6f3y, £8,400
Minnie Idol will be running in handicap for the first time, but has yet to race on turf, although she is a half-sister to a Listed winner that won on soft. Court Drive has won on good to soft and arrives here on the back of a c/d win. Andrew Balding’s Remi Mae also arrives on the back of a win but has yet to race on going with soft in the description. Startled Lady has won over c/d and was only just denied from today’s rating at Kempton last time. She has yet to race on soft but would certainly hold a chance if handling it.
First-time cheekpieces didn’t work for Q T Pie last time. Course-and-distance winner Romantic Twilight hasn’t clicked yet this season but is well handicapped based on last autumn’s form. Thunderous Love is weighted to win again after some modest runs and she handles soft. Molly Mac has won two of her last three races and handles soft. Ironist‘s sole win to date came in this race last year on soft going when rated 67 (now 61). She will race in a first-time tongue-tie today, as will Dark Brunette, who is lightly raced and surely has more to come.
Selection: On the short list are Romantic Twilight, Molly Mac and Ironist, with IRONIST getting the nod in a race he won last year.
Wednesday’s Yarmouth Tips
- 14:31 Bidsta (NAP)
- 15:41 Rhapsody
- 16:12 Nizam
- 16:45 Shangri La
- 17:15 Ironist
