Horsebetting.com experts give their three best bets for Worthington’s Armed Forces Raceday at Newbury on Saturday, 27 October. Ceratonia drops in class and rates the NAP on the eight-race card in the Listed 7f Radley Stakes. Azano scored in terrific style last time out and is our next best bet in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes, a 7f juvenile contest in which his trainer John Gosden has a good record. Meanwhile, in the 1m 2f handicap, Shabbah looks to hold solid each-way claims. For full details on these horses, read our in-depth preview with Newbury betting tips for October 27.Class-dropping Ceratonia can capture Radley Stakes gloryCeratonia is strongly fancied to take advantage of a drop in grade and get back to winnings ways in the Listed 7f Radley Stakes for juvenile fillies at Newbury on Saturday (15:55). This Godolphin owned daughter of Oasis Dream hails from the yard of Charlie Appleby and is one from one over the trip.
That success came on debut in a nine-runner novice contest at Ascot back in July. After dwelling at the start and being held-up at the rear, Ceratonia made good progress when shaken-up two from home and, despite showing distinct signs of greenness, ran on really well to beat Model Guest by half-a-length.
It was a most taking performance which suggested she was an above average sort. That view was confirmed when she finished a fine three-quarters of a length runner-up to Rocques in the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale over 1m at Longchamp. William Buck was forced to make the running on Ceratonia, which wasn’t ideal, and she stayed on gamely after being headed approaching the last to go down fighting.
Given how the race panned out it was a really solid effort, and Ceratonia was sent off just 6/1 on the back of it for the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac over 1m at the same venue on Arc day. Although she came home last of eight to Lily’s Candle, Ceratonia got lit up and raced far too keenly in the early stages. She then got outpaced and squeezed for room a furlong and a half from home, before keeping on again to be beaten just over three lengths.
This represents a return to much calmer waters and the drop back in trip looks sure to suit. Ceratonia is also the officially top rated in the line-up off 98, so that gives her 4lb and upwards in hand on her 10 rivals. It makes this looks a great opportunity for her and we therefore had no hesitation in making her the standout bet on the card among our Newbury betting tips for October 27.Azano the answer to Horris HillTrainer John Gosden has won the Horris Hill Stakes three times, and Azano looks to hold leading claims of adding to that tally in this year’s renewal of the Group 3 contest over 7f for juvenile colts (14:50) following an impressive wide-margin success last time out. This son of Oasis Dream left his debut run at Yarmouth well behind when ripping apart the opposition in a 12-runner novice stakes at the same venue.
After tracking the leader travelling powerfully in the hands of Rab Havlin, Azano was produced to take up the running two furlongs from home. He then stretched effortlessly clear to beat stable companion Frederickbarbosa by five lengths.
There was nothing no to like about the way in which Azano got the job done and he never had to be asked as a serious question by Havlin. What he actually beat is hard to weigh up, but the third home Reloaded went into the race on the back of a win and it was a performance which suggested Azano needed keeping firmly onside.
This does demand much more, but Gosden doesn’t go tilting at windmills with his inmates and Azano has bags of scope and looks a potentially exciting prospect for the in-from Newmarket handler. So, at the odds on offer at the time of writing, Azano looks worth a punt to take the step up in class in his stride and land the spoils en route to better things.Shabbah holds solid each-way claimsIn the 1m 2f Georgie Busher 90th Birthday Handicap (16:30), Shabbah looks to hold solid each-way claims in a wide-open affair having bounced back to form with a vengeance when scoring last time out. That success came at Nottingham where he landed a 14-runner contest by 4 1/2 lengths from Imaginative.
After being held-up well off the pace, the Joseph Tuite trained five-year-old scythed through the pack like a knife through butter from the two marker. He then hit the front inside the last before forging clear to win in tremendous style off a mark of 79. The handicapper has had his say and hit Shabbah with an 8lb rise for that runway success.
However, the son of the sensational Sea The Stars has proved that he can be competitive off his revised rating of 87 in the past. Shabbah racked up a hat-trick of successes in 2016 when trained by Sir Michael Stoute and was then beaten just a head in his bid for the four-timer in a class 2 at Ascot off his current rating.
So, given that he has his ideal underfoot conditions once again, and a 40 per cent strike rate over the trip having won four of his 10 starts over it, Shabbah looks sure to make a bold bid to follow-up. That’s why he had to feature as the he each-way punt in our Newbury betting tips for October 27.Your Next Bet
