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How To Bet £20 on Day One of the July meeting: Army can power home

Last Updated: Fri 14 Jul 2023

The Moet & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket begins with two short-priced favourites who won at Royal Ascot and they are likely to make or break the day of some punters.

Atty Persse won a handicap at the royal meeting in decisive style off a mark of 93 but he got the run of the race and the time, relative to others at the meeting, was nothing special.

On official ratings, he is only fifth best of the eight runners in the Bahrain Trophy Stakes and he will not get an easy lead on this occasion as several others in the line-up like to get on with things.

With an end-to-end gallop on the cards, the race may be teed up for a hold-up performer and that makes the Brian Meehan-trained Raheen House, who boasts the best overall form, even more appealing at a general 9-2.

He already had some useful efforts on his CV before he upped his game further and finished under three lengths fourth to Permian in the King Edward VII Stakes last time.

That effort deserves marking up, too, because he was last turning for home and kept on stoutly when switched wide to the unfavourable centre of the track.

He strikes me as a William Hill St Leger type - the sponsor quotes him at 33-1 - and he can improve Jamie Spencer’s bewilderingly bad recent record at the track (two wins from 94 rides in the past five seasons).

Rajasinghe is chalked up between 13-8 and 2-1 to follow up his Coventry success in the Arqana July Stakes and has to be a swerve because he looked a little fortunate to win on the day and, in any case, little more than two lengths covered the first eight home.

In addition, he has to shoulder a 3lb penalty and the ground will not be anywhere so rattling as it was at Ascot. I’m going to take him on with Invincible Army, chalked up at 8-1 with BetVictor, and Enjazaat, who is a general 16-1.

Invincible Army was heavily backed on his Goodwood debut in May and looked like justifying the support, only to be collared in the final strides by Masar.

The form of that race has worked out a treat (the winner has since finished third to September in the Chesham and the third and fourth have also franked it at a decent level) and Invincible Army himself went one better in style over course and distance - thrashing a short-priced Godolphin challenger by five lengths in a good time.

There should be plenty more to come from the Invincible Spirit colt, who is out of a dam, Rajeem, who signed off her career with victory in the Falmouth Stakes at this meeting 11 years ago.

For all that Invincible Army is a strong fancy, I’d kick myself if Enjazaat won and I did not have a penny on because he looked slick when winning by six lengths on soft ground at Yarmouth last time and, a good mover, he might be even more effective on better going.

Frontiersman looks another skinny favourite at 13-8 in the Princess Of Wales's Arqana Racing Club Stakes because he might have been a bit flattered when chasing home Highland Reel in the Coronation Cup after being anchored in rear much of the way.

The manner with which he hung in the closing stages when asked for maximum effort also has to be a negative and Charlie Appleby is equipping him with first-time cheekpieces to help him concentrate.

There is no habitual front-runner in the line-up and it could get messy, but Andrea Atzeni is not usually found wanting in tactical battles and can click on general 10-1 chance Algometer.

David Simcock’s lightly-raced grey shaped really well when runner-up to Autocratic on his belated return over an inadequate mile and a quarter in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown.

That should have put him spot on for this more suitable test and his defeats of Dartmouth (at Newbury) and Prize Money (at Goodwood) last season look even better now than they did at the time.

Finally, Cartographer is hard to resist at 7-1 with Ladbrokes for the bet365 Handicap over six furlongs.

The Martyn Meade-trained filly was having only her fourth start when romping home over course and distance 13 days ago and, while she is in a deeper race, a 9lb rise may not be enough to prevent her following up.

She is a massive 66-1 with Paddy Power for the Stewards’ Cup later this month (Dancing Star, another filly, won the bet365 Handicap last year before following up at Goodwood) but beware backing here because even if picking up a penalty she would be unlikely to get in.

How To Bet £20 on Day One of the July Meeting:

OPTION ONE

1.50: Raheen House £5 win at a general 9-2

2.25: Invincible Army £5 win at 8-1 with BetVictor

Enjazaat £2 win at a general 16-1

3.00: Cartographer £3 win at 7-1 with Ladbrokes

3.35: Algometer £3 win at a general 10-1

Plus a £1 reverse Exacta on the 2.25 selections.

OPTION TWO

£1 Win Lucky Fifteen (general odds in brackets)

1.50:Raheen House (9-2)

2.25: Invincible Army (7-1)

3.00: Cartographer (13-2)

3.35: Algometer (10-1)

Plus a £2.50 each-way double on the first pair

OPTION THREE

Placepot A (Sixteen £1 lines)

Leg 1: No 5 (Raheen House)

Leg 2: No 8 (Invincible Army) and No 5 (Enjazaat)

Leg 3: No 18 (Cartographer)

Leg 4: No 1 (Algometer) and No 5 (Poet’s Voice)

Leg 5: No 8 (Pulitzer) and No 7 (Maybride)

Leg 6: No 13 (Compas Scoobie) and No 8 (A Momentofmadness)

Placepot B (Four £1 lines)

Leg 1: No 5 (Raheen House)

Leg 2: No 8 (Invincible Army)

Leg 3: No 18 (Cartographer)

Leg 4: No 1 (Algometer) and No 5 (Poet’s Voice)

Leg 5: No 8 (Pulitzer) and No 7 (Maybride)

Leg 6: No 13 (Compas Scoobie)

The Score column's advice yielded a profit of nearly £3,000 in 2016 if you had followed every one of the options and you could get a selection of our tips sent to your inbox first! Simply fill out the form below and get The Score's tips as soon as they are ready!

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