Friday’s Horse Racing Tips: Wood Ditton fourth shouldn’t be overlooked at Newmarket

Stradivarius’ retirement from racing duties has left the Yorkshire Cup without a current fighting champion - and it may be a fair while before another superstar like him comes along.

This year’s edition of the Group 2 event lacks a prolific performer and a trappy market has formed as a result. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as all seven runners are rated upwards of 108 and the majority have placed at the top level during their career.

Quickthorn, who plundered the 2022 Lonsdale Cup on the Knavesmire, is one of just two runners who haven’t hit the frame in Group 1 company. However, he tops the market due to his proven course form and the likelihood of an easy lead, which can prove extremely dangerous here. It’s hard to be dead against him given his predicted positional advantage.

His closest pursuer in the betting is the globe-trotting Broome, who is too short for my liking despite his recent Dubai Gold Cup victory. Aidan O’Brien’s veteran remarkably put up a career-best performance in Meydan last month at the age of eight, but he rarely produces two top-quality displays back to back - he followed a 121 RPR with a 109 back in 2021, and a 121 last term was followed by a 108. Any kind of drop-off would end in defeat here.

Perhaps four-year-old Eldar Eldarov is the biggest danger to the jolly. Last year’s St Leger winner returns from a 216-day layoff to face older horses for just the second time in his career, and his record fresh indicates he might be ready to showcase his talents. It will be an interesting race whatever happens, but let’s move onto my stronger selections.

The first is Syllabus, who will make his second lifetime start in the 1m2f maiden (2.15) at Newmarket for trainer William Haggas and owners Clipper Logistics.

This son of Sea The Stars filled my eye in the paddock ahead of the Wood Ditton at Newmarket last month and performed admirably on the track given he missed the break. Forwardly placed horses dominated at the Craven meeting and the fact that he only had one rival behind him at the halfway stage tells you the task he faced.

Nevertheless, he quickened nicely once asked for some effort and weaved his way through the field into fourth. Danny Tudhope gave him an educational experience and wasn’t hard on him in defeat, so I’m sure he will have learned plenty. 

Haggas has opted to quickly up him in trip to 1m2f and I think he is more than capable of beating this field, despite there being a couple of well-connected opponents pitched in against him.

If Syllabus gets the job done, all eyes will be on Silver Lady in the Michael Seely Memorial Fillies’ Stakes (2.25) at York. Another offspring of 2009 Derby winner Sea The Stars, this filly attracted strong market support in a big-field novice event at Newmarket last month and justified the confidence with a three-and-three-quarter-length success. The third and tenth have won since.

Silver Lady wasn’t fully tuned up that day and there were signs of greenness and inexperience as she approached the dip, but I loved how powerfully she hit the line and her pedigree suggests she could make up into a bona fide Group 1 calibre miler this season. 

York’s more orthodox topography and the likelihood of a stronger early pace should be the catalysts for further improvement, and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot has already been hinted as a possible mid-season target. She will need to win this to play a serious role there.

Friday’s Horse Racing Tips

Syllabus (2.15 Newmarket) @ 7.2
Silver Lady (2.25 York) @ 3.4