ITV Racing Tips: A magnificent SEVEN live on Saturday afternoon

ITV's live output on Saturday afternoon takes us to Newbury for four contests, including the Geoffrey Freer and the Hungerford. There's a couple from Ripon, notably the coveted Great St Wilfred Handicap; and a decent sprint from Newmarket.

SEVEN races to savour then - and here's a few notes about them all, hopefully pinpointing a winner or two along the way. This coming week sees York's wonderful Ebor Festival descend upon that fabled city (Weds-Sat inclusive) with ITV televising five live races on each of the four days, but until then we've got some excellent entertainment from the channel, as per. If you're playing have fun, and above all, enjoy.

Horse Racing Odds

Full ITV Schedule (ITV4)

Newbury
13:50 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes 1m 5f
14:25 BetVictor Predictor Now Handicap 5f
15:00 TPT Fire Handicap 7f
15:35 Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes 7f

Ripon
14:45 William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup 6f
15:20 William Hill/MND Great St Wilfrid Handicap 6f

Newmarket
14:05 JenningsBet Grey Horse Handicap 6f

Fast Racing Results

Rationale;

13:50 Newbury - Pinhole @ 2/1

Those famous Juddmonte silks are to the fore here with the three-year-old son of Frankel, Pinhole.

Ralph Beckett trains, and the owner's relatively new retained rider Colin Keane is in the plate. The selection took a handicap here 22 days ago by a yawning 5.5l and steps back into Group company this afternoon.

At the royal meeting he was beaten 4.75l by Carmers in the G2 Queen's Vase and it's important to stress that Pinhole is still a work in progress, a very promising one at that, given he's only had five starts.

The last display was a career-best and a first Group success looks imminent. This G3 field won't frighten him and as a three-year-old he's getting a nice chunk of weight (9lb) from in particular two potential older-horse dangers, Epic Poet and Candleford.

Graduation Day.

14:05 Newmarket - Binhareer @ 15/8

Decent 6f sprint handicap at HQ, and we're with the red-hot yard of William Haggas (38% strike-rate in the last 14 days).

Binhareer has Cieren Fallon up, and the three-year-old Dark Angel gelding produced a break-out career-best at Ayr 40 days ago when taking one of these in eye-catching fashion by 3.25l.

It wasn't lost on the assessor as he's been raised 8lb, but still looks to me like the one they've all got to beat. Only five career runs to date and the first four, including a Redcar novice success, were over 7f.

The drop down to 6f last time was a revelation, and as his jockey dropped his whip late in the piece it only emphasises the ease of the victory. Plenty more to come methinks, and he's got an entry into the Ayr Gold Cup in September.

14:25 Newbury - Rhythm N Hooves @ 9/2

Trainer Robert Cowell has a heady reputation as a trainer who excels with sprinters, and he's got a representative in this by the name of Rhythm N Hooves.

The five-year-old Pearl Secret gelding is a respectable six-from-35 all told and last time ran a cracker at Ascot three weeks ago, finishing second beaten less than a length in a Class 2.

He gets a bit of respite today, dropping into a Class 3, but is up 2lb for that excellent spin in Berkshire. He's admirably consistent and as these sprinters tend to win in their turn almost, I'd say his is very close at hand indeed.

The quite brilliant Billy Loughnane has the riding assignment - and he's won on him before.

14:45 Ripon - Havana Rum each-way @ 12/1

We're paying FIVE places each-way, and in such fiendishly-tricky affairs that's a godsend!

Sixteen runners are slated to face the starter, and our selection has drawn the 10 box, so should be able to pick which side to motor down if indeed the field splits.

Havana Rum represents the powerful Richard Fahey yard, and is a course-and-distance scorer. Ripon is quirky, with its little undulations, and course familiarity is important.

The selection is a five-year-old Havana Grey gelding; the very epitome of consistency in his last half-dozen races, finishing close-up on each occasion. He's shown he can be competitive off this mark of around 65 then, and the excellent 7lb apprentice Ethan Tindall really puts him in the mix when applying that claim.

In a wide-open heat he offers value from a top yard.

15:00 Newbury - Leadman each-way @ 17/2

Trappy, super-competitive 7f heat for a handsome £25k purse.

Our e/w selection Leadman is journeying from trainer David O'Meara's North Yorkshire base and though he didn't really figure down at Goodwood the other day prior to that at Newmarket in mid-July he took a Class 3 handicap nicely under Rossa Ryan.

That was off a mark of 83, and he's on 88 today, so he's got it to do. However - David took the horse from the Andrew Balding set-up in October and he's only had four runs for his new yard.

As the five-year-old Kingman gelding produced a career-best at HQ, then was hampered early at Goodwood, it could pay to stay on the right side of him as further improvement looks decidedly feasible as he continues to settle into his new environment - and connections find out more about his capabilities.

The superb Danny Tudhope rides.

15:20 Ripon - Rock Opera each-way @ 8/1

I'm adopting a similar policy with Ripon's big one, the Great St Wilfred, as with their previous contest - Musley Bank maestro Richard Fahey all the way, with his promising claimer Ethan Tindall (and we're paying FIVE places e/w, so that's the way I'm leaning, too).

Rock Opera is a five-year-old gelding by a fine sprint champion in France; and out of a mare by G1-winning superstar Bahri. Ethan rode him last time, at York three weeks ago, and he failed by just half-a-length, running on, in this grade.

That was an outstanding effort but he's only been raised a pound by the handicapper and that's a massive plus (the York race was worth virtually the same as this, around £52k). Ethan's first time on him, too - he'll be even more familiar with any foibles this time around.

Rock Opera hasn't in all candour excelled here before but he arrives in great order and with a hungry, talented apprentice taking off a nice chunk of weight (7lb). Hopefully he can come with a devastating late rattle.

15:35 Newbury - King's Gamble @ 9/2

G2 action over 7f, in the Hungerford.

On a day teeming with them, yet another red-hot contest - and for a terrific pot of around £85k. Ralph Beckett has entered his four-year-old Kingman colt King's Gamble, who will be ridden by the mighty Arc-winning jockey Rossa Ryan.

Ryan was on board 28 days ago here, over 6f this time, and finished a close-up second in a G3. That was the horse's first run for 351 days, and it was a case of slowly away, make ground steadily, and run on nicely. As a prep for this it could hardly have been better.

He gets a mile perfectly well so this seven should suit just fine. Given he's had another significant break (281 days) at the end of his two-year-old campaign he's as a consequence very lightly-raced (six runs only all told).

If he's straight, and over whatever's been amiss, he's got all the quality needed to make his mark in this company. Encouragingly, he has a a couple of tasty autumn entries too (Betfred Park Stakes at Donny, and the G1 Champions Sprint at Ascot).

ITV Racing Tips with Betfred Insights.