Tote Placepot tips for Saturday: Jack Nicol's Newbury selections

It is very hard to see

Desert Hero

out of the three in the opening Group Three Aston Park Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

The Sea The Stars four-year-old finished a creditable second on reappearance at Sandown last month, shaping like in need of the run but only going down by a neck to the progressive Okeechobee in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes. 

He'll strip fitter for that outing as he returns to a mile-and-a-half, and with this looking a weaker contest on paper, he rates a rock-solid selection to kick things off.

Selection: Desert Hero.

William Haggas may have a solid favourite in the opening contest but I think his charge in this race is worth opposing here. 

I was a huge fan of Relief Rally last season but she was never the biggest and there must be huge doubts over her training on this term. The Kodiac filly was only fourth on reappearance here last month, albeit chasing home subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka, but she never really looked like threatening and is surely priced up on last season's exploits.

I think the unbeaten Pocklington will be continually underrated this season, mainly due to being in the care of Geoff Oldroyd, but his best-ever horse, Ladies Are Forever, is Pocklington's dam and it looks like she has passed on her talent and I think he is a very exciting colt. The son of Blue Point comfortably dispatched the 106-rated Army Ethos on just his second start at Newcastle in March and should have much to offer with further experience under his belt. 

Elite Status

has a bit to prove having ended 2023 with two disappointing efforts but had earlier created a deep impression with victories at Sandown and Deauville and is worth another chance outside of Group 1 company.

Selections: Pocklington & .

The London Gold Cup is always a quality handicap and boasts a strong roll of honour with subsequent Group 1 winners including Green Moon, Al Kazeem, Defoe and Bay Bridge among a host of our Group-level performers.

There's every chance there's another classy prospect in here and the one I like the most is King's Gambit for Harry Charlton. It is worth noting the strong recent record of the Charlton yard (under Harry's father, Roger) with previous winners including Time Test, Imperial Aviator, Headman, as well as the aforementioned Al Kazeem, and it would not be a surprise if this has been a long-term target for the exciting King's Gambit.

The Saxon Warrior colt has raced exclusively at Newbury in three starts to date and left behind a low-key debut effort with a comfortable maiden success before finishing a narrow second to the now 108-rated Bracken's Laugh, having conceding 6lb to the winner. That marks him down as a well-handicapped horse from a mark of 93 and the booking of William Buick is a notable jockey appointment.

Individualism is the only maiden in the 14-runner field but has bumped into a few useful types over trips short of his best to date and should show further improvement as he steps up in trip this season. This is his first try at 10 furlongs and I'm expecting a bold showing from a mark of 78, especially following a sound reappearance effort at Musselburgh last time out.

Selection: King's Gambit & Individualism.

The feature Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is next and much of the build-up has centred on Big Rock and . 

The pair produced some of the standout Group 1 victories last season, with the French raider destroying his opposition in the QEII at Ascot in October, before the filly produced a thrilling victory in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November.

The recent stable switch for Big Rock is a little concerning with the colt only moving into his new home at Maurizio Guarnieri's yard in the last six weeks or so and that can only be perceived as a negative. As is drying ground, with the belief that the is at his very best when the mud is flying. 

With that in mind, definite preference is for Inspiral who has typically ran very well fresh and is arriving here on the back of three successive victories, with the latter two arguably career-best efforts.

Selections: Inspiral.

Wiltshire looks the rightful favourite here in leg five and only goes up 2lb for a recent course-and-distance victory in which he was value for much more. The four-year-old had to wait for the gaps but picked up strongly to win impressively on stable debut for William Haggas and there's every reason to expect further improvement on that seasonal reappearance.

Lethal Levi was well-punted to go off favourite for a competitive six furlong handicap at York on Wednesday but disappointed when finishing down the field. He was out on the wing there, which may excuse the sub-par effort, but connections clearly feel he's come out of the race in good form and opt for a swift turnaround with first-time blinkers employed just three days later. 

Now off 91, there's no doubt Lethal Levi is dangerously handicapped and this may just be the spark to see him return to the winners' enclosure.

Selection: Wiltshire & Lethal Levi.

Metal Merchant, Godwinson and Talis Evolvere finished 1-2-3 here over course-and-distance last month and it was clear that Godwinson was unlucky not to win having had to switch around rivals before finding the line coming too soon in his bid to reel in the winner. On 1lb better terms, I'd expect William Haggas' charge to reverse the form and think he could make up into a talented handicapper this term.

There's scope for a couple more darts in the finale and the lightly-raced Slipofthepen is feared. The Night Of Thunder colt had looked to be on the fast-track to Group company around this time last year but was not sighted again in 2023 after disappointing at Sandown 12 months ago. He made a belated return at Newmarket last month and was well-supported on his handicap debut but faded tamely inside the final furlong and looked very much in need of the outing. With that under his belt, as is common with runners from the yard, it'd be no surprise to see him to leave that well behind here.

Finally, a chance is taken on Terwada who has been disappointing in his last two races but had previously looked progressive and could bounce back now in calmer waters. He's just 2lb higher than his last winning mark on the back of that and still has scope for improvement having only had seven races to date. It would not be a surprise to see him outrun his odds.

Selections: Godwinson, Slipofthepen & Terwada.