The 2018 St Simon Stakes tips given by Horsebetting.com experts say Young Rascal is a worthy favourite to land the Group 3 contest over 1m 4f at Newbury on Saturday, 27 October, and maintain his unbeaten record at the Berkshire venue. Weekender hails from the red-hot yard of John Gosden and drops in class, so is feared most. Morando, meanwhile, has his ideal ground and appeals each-way now stepped up in trip. For full details on these horses’ chances, read our in-depth 2018 St Simon Stakes betting tips preview.Young Rascal taken to rock again at NewburyYoung Rascal looks a worthy favourite to round off the campaign in style with victory in the feature race at Newbury on Saturday, the 1m 4f Group 3 St Simon Stakes (14:20). This William Haggas trained three-year-old has only had five starts, but won three of those and is also unbeaten in two starts at this venue.
After shaping with stacks of promise when runner-up on his sole start as a juvenile at Nottingham, the son of Intello scoring most impressively by five lengths over 1m 3f here on seasonal reappearance in a 20-runner maiden that has thrown-up plenty of subsequent winners.
Connections decided to pitch Young Rascal into Group 3 company after that taking display, and he overcame all sorts of trouble in-running before showing a smart turn of foot to beat subsequent Epsom Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee by half-a-length in the Chester Vase under a hands and heels ride.
Hunting Horn, who finished three lengths back in third, has since won a Group 3 and been beaten a short-head in a Group 2. Flag Of Honour, who came fifth, has won three times since, including when beating Latrobe by 2 3/4 lengths in the Irish St Leger. That gives the form a rock solid look.
Young Rascal then shaped better than the bare result suggests when beaten 16 1/2 lengths into seventh by Masar in The Derby when ill at ease on the undulating venue. He later looked better than ever following a 116-day break when landing the Group 3 Legacy Cup Stakes over 1m 3f here last month by a short-head from Mirage Dancer.
He showed a willing attitude to knuckle down and get up in the dying stride, despite looking a bit ring rusty. Young Rascal is entitled to come on a bundle for that outing and is the highest rated in the line-up off 116. That is 2lb highest than his closest rival Weekender and he receives a handy 5lb weight-for-age allowance from John Gosden’s charge.
It gives Young Rascal outstanding claims of going in again on ground and a track that is ideal for him. We therefore had no hesitation in making him the main selection in our 2018 St Simon Stakes betting tips.Class-dropping Weekender sure to go wellThe aforementioned Weekender drops in class, so looks the obvious danger to Young Rascal. The John Gosden trained four-year-old is a consistent sort who boasts an impressive 36 per cent strike rate, having won four times and also been placed on four occasions from 11 starts.
This son of Frankel ran a massive race under top-weight on his penultimate outing when second of 20 to Muntahaa in the ultra-competitive 1m 6f Ebor Handicap at York. After dwelling at the start, Weekender quickly made up lost ground on the outside to track the leaders under regular pilot Frankie Dettori. He then took up the running two from home until being headed approaching the last.
Weekender was then unable to match the winner’s turn of foot, but stuck to the task gamely to go down by 3 1/4 lengths. Given how the race panned out, it was a terrific effort. Gosden decided to pitch him into Group 1 company on the back of it and Weekender ran really well to finish a staying on 4 1/2 lengths third of six to the aforementioned Flag Of Honour in the Irish St Leger at The Curragh.
This is easier, but the drop back to 1m 4f has to be a concern as all his best runs have come over further. On the line through Flag Of Honour, he also has work to do with Young Rascal based on when that pair met in the Chester Vase.
So, although Weekender looks sure to make a bold bid to get back to winning ways, there are enough reasons to suggest he has his work cut out and is worth opposing at the odds on offer. Hence we’ve sided with Young Rascal, who has his optimum conditions, in our St Simon Stakes betting tips.Morando the each-way optionOutside the main two in the market, Morando is an interesting contender now stepped up in trip and appeals each-way. This Andrew Balding trained five-year-old shaped with plenty of promise on seasonal reappearance in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes over 1m 2f at Sandown where, after racing keenly in the early stages, he stayed on strongly near the finish to be beaten 1 1/4 lengths into third behind Crystal Ocean.
The winner is a high-class sort who has since gone on to land a Group 3 at Newbury and the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, before finishing a fine neck second to stable companion Poet’s Word in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and a six-length runner-up to Cracksman in last weekend’s Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Almodovar, who finished three-quarters of a length behind Morando in fourth, also ran very well next time up when second in a Group 1 at Longchamp. That gives the form a strong look in relation to this contest, and Morando comes into it on the back on a fine half-a-length second in the Listed 1m 2f Doonside Cup at Ayr where he stuck to the task well to go down fighting to Dolphin Vista.
That effort, along with that in the Gordon Richards, suggest Morandi is well worth a crack at the 1m 4f trip of this. He does have plenty to find on adjusted ratings. but has his ideal underfoot conditions and thus holds claims of making the frame.Your Next Bet
