Saturday ante-post tips: Four double-figure fancies at York and Newcastle

York’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dash Handicap (2.25) looks a good fit for Our Cody who has run well in defeat in two Sandown starts this term, the most recent being a listed contest won by the 110-rated Words Of Truth. She didn’t get a clear run on the rail that day before finishing well, having also caught the eye on her previous start (handicap debut; from 1 lb lower than here) as she wasn’t helped by a wide draw and racing on the outer throughout. 

A quick filly who has won on quick ground and produced her best efforts on speed-favouring tracks, she should appreciate a return to handicap company and her in-form trainer Richard Hughes (22% strike-rate, +27.75 level stakes profit) has an even better record with his three-year-olds on the Knavesmire (38%, +38.75). 

Talking of figures, the early booking of Neil Callan catches the eye as he has a fine record for the yard (27%, +92.00). 

She’s worth backing at 10-1. 

Never So Brave is the class act in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Criterion Stakes (2.58) but he’s started slowly on both starts this season in better company, and if he was to do the same in this Group Three then it could put him seriously on the back foot at a track that favours speedy horses, especially given the likely fast ground. 

Winner of this in 2023 when it was still held at Newmarket, Audience split runners rated 110 and 100 (getting 10 lb) when second in the Ballycorus Stakes on soft ground at Leopardstown earlier this month, and this looks the perfect race for this prominent racer assuming he can see off Poet Master early on without too much bother. 

Clearly he’s not the Group One force of old (Lockinge winner when trained by John Gosden), but he loves quick ground and this looks the best opportunity for connections to recoup some of the 170,000 guineas they spent acquiring him in the winter. Don’t miss him at 12-1. 

Over at Newcastle, Withhold (2018) was the last Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate Handicap (3.15) winner to make all, and, with the exception of 2022 winner Trueshan who was in the first chasing pack for much of the way, recent winners have tended to come from further back. 

With several of Saturday’s entries having run at Royal Ascot, it’s unclear who will pitch up and how much that will have taken out of them, but it’s obvious that last year’s winner Spirit Mixer has had this on the calendar for some time (was also second in it in 2022). 

The Andrew Balding-trained gelding may be eight now, and 6 lb higher than 12 months ago, but his Chester win off 93 and Kempton reappearance third off 96 suggests that there’s plenty of life left in him. He didn’t run badly over an inadequate trip on desperate ground at Milan earlier this month, either, so he’s worth backing at 16-1. 

Last year’s runner-up Dancing In Paris is also of interest after a recent pipe-opener at Epsom, and he’s now 2 lb better off with Spirit Mixer (also worth noting he challenged on the far side last year), but he’s become a little hard to win with. He’s a must for any placepots, but is passed over for win purposes in favour of 12-1 chance Team Player, a strong stayer who looks the pick of the four-year-olds. 

Connections spent a fair amount (47,000 guineas) picking up this Without Parole gelding out of Gemma Tutty’s in the winter sales and such has been his progress – with wins at Newcastle and Musselburgh, followed by a never-nearer fifth in the Chester Cup – that it’s the big race on Saturday rather than the consolation which he runs in. 

Despite not handling the track well, that Roodee run suggests that this mark of 92 is still within reach, and his trainer Ewan Whillans has proven with Cracking Rhapsody that he can target train these big handicaps with the best of them. 

back Our Cody at 10-1 with William Hill, Unibet

back Audience at 12-1 general 

back Team Player at 12-1 general 

back Spirit Mixer at 16-1 general