Long odds-on shot Shalaa (2/5) is unbackable despite looking an exceptional two-year-old. He’s beaten the re-opposing Gimcrack Stakes winner Ajaya as well as his owner’s other star juvenile, subsequent Flying Childers Stakes winner Gutaifan, so looks the one to beat in the Group One Middle Park Stakes.
Coventry Stakes winner Buratino has been dismissed by the bookies at 10/1 after finding Air Force Blue too good in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at Curragh in August. The ground went against him that day and connections have avoided soft going ever since. Newmarket is good, good to soft in places at the time of writing and looks set to dry further with a clear, warm forecast into Saturday. He won’t be the only one who craves a dry forecast, but his emphatic summer wins at Epsom and Royal Ascot point to him being overpriced in this. If any rain does arrive, connections will almost certainly scratch so he’s worth backing under non-runner-no-bet terms.
1pt win Buratino @10/1, Middle Park Stakes, Newmarket 15:10
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