Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Saturday, September 30

The weekend focus may be on the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday, but before then there is one of the most important Saturdays of the Flat season at Newmarket where SANDS OF MALI (2.55) can be the star of the show in the Middle Park Stakes.

The last two winners of this Group One race — The Last Lion and Shalaa — were immediately retired to stud, but Richard Fahey-trained Sands Of Mali looks to have a big, immediate future on the track after his decisive win in the Gimcrack Stakes at York.

Runner-up that day, beaten almost three lengths, was Invincible Army who looked unlucky not to win last weekend’s Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. Cardsharp, who reopposes today on 3lb better terms, was almost four lengths behind Sands Of Mali in the Gimcrack.

Sands of Mali can be the star of the show in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday

Sands of Mali can be the star of the show in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday

So, this looks a strong renewal of the Middle Park.


Karl Burke’s Unfortunately already has a Group One prize in the bag, having won the Prix Morny at Deauville, as has Aidan O’Brien’s Sioux Nation after he landed the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh by half a length from Beckford.

Rajasinghe broke the two-year-old, six-furlong course record when winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Big Country has shown steady improvment in his first season with trainer Mick Appleby

Big Country has shown steady improvment in his first season with trainer Mick Appleby

It is a red-hot contest but one Sands Of Mali, long thought of as the best two-year-old in the powerful Fahey stable, looks up to grabbing.

The Group One Cheveley Park Stakes throws together an equally classy field and is no less competitive for the absence of expected favourite Heartache. Clemmie, the sister of dual 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill and winner of the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course, plus unbeaten York Lowther Stakes winner Threading are both talented.

But the vote goes to DIFFERENT LEAGUE (Newmarket, 2.20), winner of the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and a fair third to Middle Park Stakes contender Unfortunately when taking on colts in the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville.

The horse Johnny Barnes was fancied to do well at Ayr but the meeting was abandoned  

The horse Johnny Barnes was fancied to do well at Ayr but the meeting was abandoned  

BIG COUNTRY (Newmarket, nap, 3.35) has been an improver in his first season with trainer Mick Appleby.

The form of his latest run at York has been franked and he looks to have been saved for a tilt at the historic Betfred Cambridgeshire Handicap with Silvestre De Sousa booked to ride.

I fancied Johnny Barnes (Haydock, 3.15) to run well in last week’s Ayr Gold Cup. He now runs in the race staged to replace the abandoned Ayr contest — but he will still get the testing conditions he prefers and again holds big claims.

........................................................................................................................................... 

Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips ahead of Saturday's meetings at Newmarket, Haydock, Ripon, Chelmsford City, Market Rasen and Chester.

Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips ahead of Saturday's meetings

Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips ahead of Saturday's meetings

NEWMARKET 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 

1.50 Nelson 

2.20 Different League 

2.55 Sands Of Mali 

3.35 Big Country (nap) 

4.10 Altyn Orda 

4.45 Clubbable 

5.20 Accession (nb) 

GIMCRACK

1.50 Herculean 

2.20 Different League 

2.55 Unfortunately (nap) 

3.35 Qassem (nb) 

4.10 Glitterdust 

4.45 Exhort 

5.20 Ice Lord 

........................................................................................................................................... 

HAYDOCK 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 

1.35 Pioneer Spirit 

2.05 Lord Of The Rock 

2.40 Mayleaf Shine 

3.15 Johnny Barnes 

3.50 Sir Billy Wright 

4.25 Narcos 

5.00 Cleonte 

5.35 Tawdeea

GIMCRACK  

1.35 Dramatic Queen 

2.05 Muntadab 

2.40 Tarboosh 

3.15 Ice Age 

3.50 Toofi 

4.25 Narcos 

5.00 Taxmeifyoucan 

5.35 Royal Line

...........................................................................................................................................

RIPON 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 

2.00 Elation 

2.35 Trumps Up 

3.10 Show Palace 

3.45 Golden Apollo 

4.20 Al Zaman 

4.55 Penny Pot Lane 

5.30 Lazarus 

GIMCRACK 

2.00 Elation 

2.35 Trumps Up 

3.10 Show Palace 

3.45 Brian The Snail 

4.20 Indy 

4.55 Dodgy Bob 

5.30 Mixboy 

...........................................................................................................................................

CHELMSFORD CITY

ROBIN GOODFELLOW  

5.50 Hyperloop 

6.20 Maestro Mac 

6.50 Dark Red 

7.20 Steady Pace 

7.50 Foxy Forever 

8.20 Justice Rock 

8.50 Honey Badger 

9.20 Staffa 

GIMCRACK 

5.50 Colourful Career 

6.20 Maestro Mac 

6.50 Dark Red 

7.20 Afjaan 

7.50 Foxy Forever 

8.20 Justice Rock 

8.50 Royal Caper 

9.20 Staffa

...........................................................................................................................................

MARKET RASEN 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 

2.10 Ortenzia 

2.45 Mountain Path 

3.20 Highbury High 

3.55 Red Tornado 

4.30 Work In Progress 

5.05 Get Home Now 

5.40 Mon Eldorado 

GIMCRACK 

2.10 Amadeus Rox 

2.45 Apache Song 

3.20 The Doorman 

3.55 Dear Sire 

4.30 Work In Progress 

5.05 Captain Felix 

5.40 Ballymoy

...........................................................................................................................................

CHESTER 

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 

2.30 Gabrial The Saint 

3.05 Dark Devil 

3.40 Bahama Moon 

4.15 Ginbar 

4.50 Tamih 

5.25 Liquid Gold 

5.55 Brandon Castle 

GIMCRACK 

2.30 Gabrial The Saint 

3.05 Here’s Two 

3.40 Alexander M 

4.15 Ginbar 

4.50 Ebqaa 

5.25 Caravela 

5.55 Brandon Castle