British Racing $10 Money Back starts May 17: Play for Newbury’s 5th race

Whether you’re a longtime fan of British racing, or just curious to test the waters, TwinSpires.com’s money-back offer is a great opportunity to get involved in the action across the pond. 

Beginning this Saturday, May 17, and running through Aug. 31, you can opt in, bet a horse to win in selected British races, and get $10 back if your selection finishes second (in a field of at least five runners). Complete details are available on the TwinSpires offer page.

Saturday’s eligible races are the fifth through eighth at Newbury, the latter half of the banner Lockinge (G1) card that is also on the World Pool schedule. 

The Lockinge, the fourth race (9:35 a.m. ET), features an all-star clash between comebackers Rosallion and Notable Speech, while Dancing Gemini arrives race-fit in the form of his life. Not to be overlooked are the top-class fillies Tamfana and Fallen Angel. The one-mile prize historically serves as the key stepping stone to the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot, and this fantastic renewal promises to be informative.

The money-back offer kicks in for races 5-8. We’ll take a stab at a pedigree play in the fifth race, a listed stakes for fillies.

Race 5, 10:10 a.m. (ET): Childwick Bury Stud Fillies’ Trial S.

Several promising three-year-old fillies with classic aspirations make for an open-looking contest, and a good spot to try for the money-back offer. #3 Ecstatic (4-1) rates as the lukewarm favorite for Aidan O’Brien. Despite Ballydoyle’s hot hand in the recent trials, she strikes me as beatable here. 

I’m partial to #4 Likealot (7-1) as she steps up in class from her convincing debut score over this 1 1/4-mile trip on the Chelmsford Polytrack. The Ralph Beckett trainee powered away in the manner of a proper prospect. Rossa Ryan, who could have ridden Beckett’s other entrant, notably sticks with Likealot. 

Since there’s not much to get excited about regarding the bare form of that all-weather novice, my main motivation is her pedigree. Likealot combines two of my favorite influences. She’s by Camelot and from the continually flourishing maternal line going back to Bella Colora and Reprocolor. Her dam is a daughter of the late Aga Khan’s Dalakhani and the accomplished Sadler’s Wells mare Balalaika. That gives Likealot 3x3 inbreeding to supersire Sadler’s Wells.

Likealot is a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Checkandchallenge, who will be a giant longshot in the Lockinge. But the younger family member has a better chance of factoring at Newbury.

If you’d prefer a filly with more form to lean on as an alternative to the favorite, Ed Walker’s #6 Qilin Queen (5-1) qualifies. Runner-up to the useful colt Luther in last September’s Ascendant S. at Haydock, she resurfaced with a third in the Pretty Polly S. at Newmarket. As with so many in this field, Qilin Queen boasts pedigree power too, hailing from the family of Ghaiyyath and Zhukova.

The money-back offer moves north to Ripon on Sunday and Redcar on Monday. See the upcoming schedule on the offers page, and good luck!