Saturday ante-post tips: 20-1 chance looks well treated

There are three black-type races taking place in Britain on Saturday and the first of those, the Newsells Park Stud Sweet Solera Stakes, has been one by some smart sorts in recent years, including Fallen Angel and Lake Victoria.

Whether or not there is a filly of that calibre in this year’s renewal, time will tell, but general second favourite NUIT D’ECLAIR, currently priced up at 7-2, stands out as one that should be shorter in the market.

She was relatively unfancied when obliging at odds of 12-1 on her debut at Newbury last month, and improved upon that despite tasting defeat for the first time when finishing fourth in the Princess Margaret on King George day at Ascot.

On both occasions, she appeared to relish the fast ground, and she stuck to her task well over the stiff six furlongs last time when having to wait to make her challenge and then getting slightly short of room in the final strides.

Though she has a Lowther entry, this step up to seven furlongs could well see her to better effect. She can become yet another Stakes winner for her phenomenal sire Night Of Thunder, who sired 32 last year alone.

Down at Ascot, six competitive handicaps take centre stage at the annual Shergar Cup meeting. Jockey bookings are likely to have a bearing on results, and we have no idea what they will be at the time of writing, plus I have left the straight course alone due to the draw bias that has played out so far this season.

However, the second race on the card, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers over two miles, I am keen on the chances of DANCING IN PARIS for crack target trainer Ian Williams at 8-1.

The six-year-old has previous at this meeting as he was third in the Challenge over a mile and a half in 2024 when sent off the 4-1 favourite. He had previously won at Ascot over a mile and three quarters the previous month, so we know he acts at the track and is a strong stayer.

Crucially, however, he is becoming dangerously well-handicapped and he has been dropped a further 1lb since his fifth here last time.

That was his best effort of the season after disappointing in the Northumberland Plate and on Derby day at Epsom, though he can be forgiven that latter effort over a trip short of his best, off a 273-day break on ground, that by the time of the penultimate race of the meeting, can be described as severe at best.

Before that, he had finished second in last year’s Northumberland Plate off just a 1lb lower mark and went on to finish second in the Summer Handicap at Goodwood off a mark of 92 and fourth behind Santorini Star (now rated 111) in the extended two-mile handicap on Juddmonte International day at York.

His form figures over this trip on turf read well and he looks a stayer that is becoming well handicapped for a team that remain in decent enough form. It is hard to see him too far away should he get a decent pace to aim at.

The following race, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge over a mile and a half, looks perhaps even more wide open, so it may be worth taking a chance on the Jim Goldie-trained ALTAREQ who tackles the trip for the first time and is a massive 20-1.

The ex-Gosden runner has ran well in four of his six starts for the yard this year, with his two disappointing efforts coming after quick turnarounds in very competitive York handicaps.

Freshened up since well beaten in the John Smith’s Cup and now 1lb lower, he is probably better judged on his first two runs of the season, where he finished third behind some smart horses, plus his win at Ayr last month.

His tendency to start slowly is a worry - he should probably have won when third at Carlisle in June, but he has looked more professional from the gates on his two most recent starts and he should get a good pace to aim at here.

Based on the way he has been finishing his races off, plus his pedigree (by Frankel out of a Lawman mare), this step up to a mile and a half looks well worth a try and he could be favourably treated over the trip off a mark of just 87.

1.55 Newmarket (Newsells Park Stud Sweet Solera Stakes): NUIT D'ECLAIR at a general 7-2.

2.10 Ascot (Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Stayers): DANCING IN PARIS at a general 8-1.

2.25 Ascot (Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge): ALTAREQ at a general 20-1.