10 Horses To Follow This Summer

With the excitement of a brilliant five days at Royal Ascot behind us, the flat season continues apace with afternoon and evening fixtures making the life of a punter extremely testing.

Here at bettingexpert News we have selected ten flat horses worth following over the next few months, with the ground likely to stay good or faster for the foreseeable future and this time of year traditionally good for form-book followers (highest percentage of winning favourites and big priced shocks relatively rare).

For balance, we have sealed 5 Group class performers likely to pay their way at the top tracks, and 5 progressive listed class/handicappers worth keeping on side of at a lower level.

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1 – Statuette

Aidan O’Brien’s Justify filly bypassed Royal Ascot (where should would have been a very strong favourite), but remains a 2-y-o of immense potential and is well worth following when she jumps up in class in the coming weeks. She was sent off a strong 11/10f for her debut at Navan in May and did not give her backers a moments concern, travelling strongly on the good ground and quickening clear from Olivia Maralda with the minimum of fuss (runner up has since run with credit in defeat in the Queen Mary).

There is loads more improvement in the tank given her scope and size, and a Group 1 victory will be in the trainers plans before the end of the season.

2 – Emily Upjohn

John and Thady Gosden’s filly has always been held in the highest regard at home, and has progressed in style to win 3 of her 4 career starts to date. She looked a most unlucky loser when touched off in the Epsom Oaks in May, slowly away and suffering a troubled passage before switched wide and finishing strongly to press Tuesday in the closing stages.

That form is beginning to work out superbly (third Nashwa won the French Oaks since), and she is open to plenty more improvement especially granted a flat galloping track that will suit her run style better (very impressive at York on seasonal debut).

3 – Mawj

Saeed bin Suroor does not have the firepower at his disposal these days that he did in the past, but he has a nice crop of young horses this season and his filly caught the eye in the Albany at Royal Ascot.

She was just tapped for pace there behind the impressive Meditate, running on strongly from a poor position, and a step up to 7f or a mile seems sure to unlock further improvement in the coming weeks.

4 – Dramatised

Karl Burke is enjoying the best season of his career, and this filly is very much the apple of his eye and probably the best he has ever trained. She was impressive at Newmarket in April despite some signs of inexperience understandably on debut (clocked a brilliant time), and looked top class when blitzing her 20 rivals to land the Queen Mary in style.

There is plenty more improvement in the tank, and she is likely to make a cracking 3-y-o next season when 6f or 7f ought to be within her compass if needed).

5 – Saffron Beach

Jane Chapple-Hyam does extremely well with a small team of horses, and her 4-y-o filly has been a fantastic advert for her skills over the last couple of years. She has now won 5 of her 10 career starts, and posted a remarkable performance to rout her rivals in the Duke of Cambridge at Royal Ascot.

Forced to race alone with no cover at all under William Buick, she maintained a strong gallop on the fast ground and fairly sprinted clear from the furlong pole to beat some useful rivals. Group 1 glory surely awaits, especially if the warm dry spell continues and produces the fast turf that clearly suits ideally.

6 – Caturra

Clive Cox’s sprinter has a touch of class, and could be just the type to land a listed contest or Group 3 at one of the top tracks this summer/autumn. He has won 3 of his 11 career starts so far, and looked a shade unlucky when well backed for the Listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown in June.

The 13/8f was rather trapped behind horses on the far-rail there, unable to get out when it mattered and finishing with running left in the tank behind Mitbaahy, and backers are sure to be seeking compensation next time out.

7 – Constitution

Andrew Balding’s Churchill colt was unfancied for his racecourse debut at Newbury in June, but ran a very eye-catching race in defeat behind the well backed favourite Mysterious Knight. He was sent off a 16/1 chance there under David Probert, soon well behind and taking a while to understand what was required, but picking up strongly from the furlong pole to take a closing second under a hand ride.

A mile will suit in time, and he is just the type his excellent trainer does particularly well with (bringing them along with patience and not overfacing runners in the early part of their career).

8 – Praiano

Roger Varian has his team firing on all cylinders, and this stayer is very much one to follow after a promising seasonal reappearance at Salisbury in June. He was strong enough in the market there considering he was up against race-fit rivals, but was perhaps just a shade rusty and could not quite land a blow in a race run at an unsuitably muddling gallop.

There is plenty more to come from him over two miles, and a bigger field and true run race will see him in a different light next time out.

9 – Chief White Face

Richard Hughes 3-y-o is a very promising type, who is very much one to follow up the handicap in the coming months. He has only run 4 times so far in a light career, but was well backed to make a winning start in handicaps at Goodwood in June. A small field did not really suit there, bumped when poised to challenge in a rather tactical battle, and he is sure to do a lot better when settling into a smooth rhythm off a far stronger gallop.

His astute connections are sure to be able to exploit a lenient looking mark, and 6f or 7f is likely to suit given time to mature.

10 – Candy Shack

David Menuisier is bringing along this 3-y-o filly with typical skill and patience, and she went into the notebook when finishing second at Goodwood in June (still green for pressure initially and then rolled around on the camber at that tricky track).

She is very much a stayer who will stay at least two miles, and her opening handicap mark is likely to underestimate how much improvement she has left in the tank.

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