Saturday’s UK Horse Racing Tips: Reigning Achilles Stakes champion can follow up

A week on from the Epsom Derby and my attention is largely focused further afield with the Belmont Stakes headlining a glittering Saturday card in New York. However, there are a couple of nice opportunities on these shores that I cannot overlook.

It’s not the most exhilarating week for the domestic action with a couple of Group 3s headlining the schedule, and just two horses stood out across the cards. The first of which is Mick Appleby’s Raasel, who has a favourite’s chance in the Listed Achilles Stakes (1.15 Haydock) yet is available at a juicy price.

This six-year-old went up 36lb in the handicap from September 2021 to July 2022 - a purple patch that saw him tally eight victories and two runner-up finishes from 11 starts. His penultimate win in that sequence came in last year’s renewal of this race, where he travelled powerfully and sprinted clear of short-priced favourite Dragon Symbol. 

Raasel followed that performance with a cracking second in the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, before falling short in three straight attempts at Group 1 prizes. Ambition got the better of connections in the back-end of last year, and journeying to Meydan this spring similarly failed to reap rewards.

They brought Raasel back to England in February and he returned to something like his best on his seasonal reappearance with a creditable fourth on unsuitably soft ground in the Palace House Stakes at Newbury. Many believed that was the perfect stepping stone for a step back up in grade, but we didn’t find out much in the Temple Stakes 14 days ago.

The formbook tells you that he was stuffed eight-and-three-quarter lengths and beat just three home, but there was a notable bias towards the stands’ side on a watered track that day and Raasel was nowhere near the golden highway - in fact, he finished his race furthest away from it.

As a result, it’s easy to put a line through that performance and judge him on his prior efforts. Given he’s now dropping down to Listed company, has the assistance of James Doyle, and returns to the scene of his devastating success 12 months ago, Raasel has to be considered a live player. The only slight worry is his draw in stall one, but I’m sure that Doyle will scoot across to get some cover on the favoured part of the track.

You won’t get similar value on my second selection, but she has cast-iron claims of entering the winner’s enclosure and has been priced accordingly. The horse in question is Midnight Affair, who will make her second career start in the Hilary Needler Fillies’ Conditions Stakes (2.05 Beverley) under Danny Tudhope.

This daughter of Dark Angel made her debut at Newmarket 36 days ago and encountered notable traffic problems en route to a fine second-placed finish behind the George Boughey-trained Soprano, who is considered to be the leading light in his juvenile ranks.

Midnight Affair was caught in a pocket at a crucial stage when Soprano made her move, which forced Tudhope to switch out wide and lose considerable ground. Nevertheless, this filly never stopped trying and was only beaten a length and three-quarters at the line. The third home has subsequently finished second at Goodwood and given the form a minor boost. 

Richard Fahey has had an excellent first half of the season with his two-year-olds - he’s currently striking at 22% - and this aggressive entry in a conditions event rather than another novice indicates that she is considered one of his better juveniles. 

She has drawn stall six, which will give Tudhope the option of dropping in early if he so wishes, and I fully expect her to get off the mark at the second time of asking.

Saturday’s UK Horse Racing Tips

Raasel (1.15 Haydock) @ 8.4
Midnight Affair (2.05 Beverley) @ 2.32