Betfred Guineas Festival Friday Tips: Day 1 at HQ and three firm fancies

The season's first Classic tests are nearly upon us. Saturday sees the Betfred 2000 Guineas for the colts, and Sunday it's the turn of the fillies, in the 1000. Friday is the day we kick off the Betfred Guineas Festival in style with a seven-race feast that includes Group and Listed contests on the historic Rowley Mile.

First up it's the 13:45, and we're highlighting three from the card that should have bright chances of going very close indeed. It's a thrill to be involved in these fantastic events and we hope that you enjoy the action as much as we do. 

Horse Racing odds

14:55 - St Anton @ 4/1

A three-year-old Class 3 handicap over a mile, the going prediction is good, and it's likely that nine will face the starter.

Trainer Richard Hannon has been among the winners since the turf season started - he won the Brocklesby at Donny on Lincoln handicap day - and saddles a promising type here in St Anton.

The Mehmas colt is out of a Sea The Stars mare, and has raced on four occasions so far. Very respectable and quietly progressive, he's yet to score but at 7f and 1m he's not been out of the top three, nor been beaten by any more than 2.75l.

His last run, on seasonal reappearance here 17 days ago, resulted in a narrow reverse at the hands of Darn Hot Gallop, and after blowing the start he ran on nicely to be third. He was less than a length adrift, and with a better exit today and the benefit of that run he can feature.

Runs off the same mark, 82, and is tackling a slightly higher grade. Joe Leavy has the riding assignment.

15:30 - Lion's Pride @ 4/1

Team Gosden seem to have been in very good order for some weeks now (operating at around a 31% strike-rate), and saddle a six-year-old Roaring Lion gelding here in the famous Golden Horn Oppenheimer silks.

This is a G2 contest for older horses (4+), over 12f - the Betfred Jockey Club Stakes.

Lion's Pride should pretty much have his eye in as it were, having run respectably in Doha in February, and again in Newbury's John Porter 13 days ago. His best-ever performance was here over course-and-distance in a Listed affair last September on fast ground, winning impressively by 7l, and I could see him being cherry-ripe for a repeat effort at HQ on Friday.

This doesn't look a strong G2 to me and is likely favourite Bay City Roller slightly better on softer ground, perhaps? He's not raced here before either, though is of course trained in Newmarket.

Tricky old puzzle to solve, but jockey Benoit De La Sayette gets plenty of good rides from the Gosden yard and has surely a very bright chance here. Decently-in with most of his rivals on official marks he probably needs to worry most about 'Roller.' Let's hope it's a case of bye-bye baby from Benoit at around the furlong pole ...

16:05 - Elarak @ 3/1

More famous colours, those of Shadwell Estate. A 7f Class 2 handicap, again for older horses (4+).

Our selection is a four-year-old Kingman gelding out of a Teofilo mare that has three wins from his seven starts thus far - Elarak.

Charlie Hills trains, and the mighty globe-trotting jockey Tom Marquand has been booked to ride, for the first time. Elarak is a course-and-distance scorer, and made his seasonal reappearance at Thirsk three weeks ago.

Decent effort, beaten 1.5l, perhaps just needing the spin. When last seen prior to his break, in September here same grade/trip, he readily accounted for 12 rivals by 2.5l and has gone up 7lb to a mark of 103 as a consequence.

He's only ever run on going with 'soft' anywhere in the description once, on debut, and has appeared to thrive on good or good-to-firm since, so should appreciate the likely sound surface.

He's conceding lots of weight to his rivals but he's earned that spot and appears to like it here, though trained in Lambourn. Smashing race, huge chance for me.

NAPS table with Betfred Insights.