Newmarket Handicap Racing Tips – Tentyris primed to storm home down the straight

The three-year-old Tentyris arrives as one of the most exciting young sprinters in the country following a devastating performance in the Lightning Stakes down the Flemington straight. That display confirmed the immense talent he had shown previously and marked him as a genuine Group 1 feature race force.

Despite being asked to carry weight as a three-year-old, he profiles as a horse still on the rise and remains unbeaten down the Flemington straight. His ability to build through his gears before unleashing a powerful finishing sprint makes him ideally suited to the long straight.

My Gladiola is the only other horse in single figures and filled the exacta behind Tentyris in the Lightning. She meets the winner 5kg better at the weights under the Handicap conditions and was less than a length away in the Lightning. 

War Machine also brings strong Flemington form, highlighted by his dominant win in the Gilgai Stakes (1200m) last spring where he produced a benchmark figure 14.7 lengths faster than standard. That performance demonstrated just how dangerous he can be when everything falls into place.

His most recent run at Pakenham in the Australia Stakes was disappointing when finishing 3rd as a short-priced favourite, but he was subsequently found to have pulled up lame, providing a genuine excuse for the performance.

Elsewhere in the field, runners such as Caballus, Sepals and Gallant Son add further depth and speed to the race, while Benedetta and Angel Capital are capable of producing strong finishes if the race is run to suit.

The Newmarket Handicap has long been a race where emerging sprinters announce themselves at the highest level and Saturday’s edition again looks likely to produce a performance of genuine class.

Baraqiel (1) has the speed to push forward early and may look to take control of the race down the centre of the straight.

Pallaton (15) and Gallant Son (10) also possess strong early speed and should be prominent in the early stages, while War Machine (3) and Caballus (6) can position just off the leading line.

Sepals (5) and Benedetta (7) are likely to settle in the second wave before building through the middle stages, while Tentyris (2) maps to settle slightly off the speed where he can build momentum before producing his finishing burst late.

Further out, runners such as De Bergerac (8), Wodeton (14) and Disneck (9) may settle towards the rear before attempting to launch their runs in the final stages.

With multiple runners capable of pressing forward, the Newmarket Handicap should be run at a genuine tempo that will suit strong closers charging late down the Flemington straight.

Tentyris is a clear top pick following his explosive performance in the Lightning Stakes. He is unbeaten down the Flemington straight and looks ideally suited by the tempo expected here. Despite the weight impost as a three-year-old and the swing in favour of My Gladiola, he should have greater scope for improvement if we look at his two campaign’s so far, while the step up to the 1200m looks to be in his favour. The son of Street Boss has drawn barrier 12, which should allow him to build momentum down the outside before unleashing his powerful finishing sprint.

War Machine appeals as the value runner. His dominant win in the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington last spring reads well for this and he carried 60kg on that occasion, making the Group 2 sprinters look second rate. The Team Hayes galloper has been well supported since final acceptances and after drawing barrier 11. He might take the trail behind Tentyris and if he brings his A-game he can serve it up to the favourite.