British Spot Plays: Newmarket for Sept. 27
Newmarket (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
September 26th, 2025
Newmarket's program on Saturday is two-year-old-centric, with a pair of historic Group 1 sprints highlighting the card. But the card kicks off with a Group 2 feature over a mile, which also has a notable history of yielding some important winners, including the legendary Frankel.
My British betting bankroll is down to $271.50 after a couple of unsuccessful plays on Friday. I will wager 5% of the outstanding balance to win on the following, beginning with a $14 play in the opener.
Race 1: Royal Lodge (G2), 8:50 a.m. ET
A son of Dubawi and the Cheveley Park (G1)-winning Lumiere (who has already thrown a couple of pattern winners), the Godolphin-owned gray #7 Pacific Avenue (5-1) is of interest. After a game debut win on the July Course over Wild Desert, who went on to finish an unlucky second in the Summer (G1) at Woodbine, Pacific Avenue lined up for the Solario (G3) at Sandown, for which he started favorite.
A @godolphin 1-2 but NOT in the order the market expected! 👀
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 21, 2025
Red-hot fav Wild Desert is turned over by stablemate Pacific Avenue in a race farmed by Charlie Appleby in recent years.
How unlucky (if at all) was the fav?@NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/sncP5fZhoV
However, on ground softer than he might have preferred, Pacific Avenue was off slow and made hard work to get back into contention. Although striking the front with about a furlong or two remaining, he couldn't sustain that bid and wound up fourth in a blanket finish.
Bunched-up finishes, like what occurred in the Solario, typically indicate a race wasn't that strong, but circumstances seemed to work against Pacific Avenue. He has further room for improvement, and a mile should suit.
Race 2: Cheveley Park (G1), 9:25 a.m. ET
Coolmore has a pair of serious contenders in this six-furlong dash for fillies, but I'll fade both and instead take #1 America Queen (4-1) to reverse form with her Lowther (G2) conqueror Royal Fixation.
America Queen won on debut by a dozen lengths at Newbury in early July, but in the Lowther at York proved second best to a slightly more experienced Royal Fixation. America Queen perhaps moved a bit too early to get position on the rail, and was simply run down. A one-length deficit is not so large that she can't make it up, and at a better price.
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