Newsboy fancies his nap, Suzuka, to win at Epsom and also hopes Duke's Command can score at Hamilton and complete his Daily Double
17:13, 16 Jul 2025
SUZUKA is worth backing to make it third time lucky in the sphere by beating seven opponents for the Tony Smith Memorial Handicap (8.40) at Epsom on Thursday evening. On the back of a fifth at Newcastle and a fourth and a sixth at Southwell, the Roger Varian-saddled daughter of Bated Breath earned a British Horseracing Authority mark of 69.
My selection came home in sixth, beaten three lengths, behind Sweet Sonata at Goodwood last month on her handicap bow before going back on the all-weather at Kempton two weeks ago. Suzuka couldn’t get involved when beating just two of her nine opponents home that evening but her cause wasn’t helped by racing wide for most of the way. The handicapper has dropped this well-bred filly down to a rating of 65 – that’s 4lb beneath her opening mark – and it’s early days to be writing Suzuka off.
Varian is operating at a near one-in-three strike-rate and, with Silvestre de Sousa on board for the first time, a red-letter day could be in store. At Hamilton, DUKE’S COMMAND approaches the Wellman Cars Private Hire Hamilton Handicap (3.55) at the top of his game and is taken to give 10 foes weight and a beating. NEWSBOY'S SELECTIONS HAMILTON 1.50 BLEEP TEST 2.20 SKI ANGEL 2.50 BRIELLE 3.22 SALLAAL 3.55 DUKE’S COMMAND (NB) 4.25 GISELLES IZZY 4.55 SUGARPIEHONEYBUNCH LEICESTER 2.00 RENOVATIO ANGEL 2.30 NOBLE HORIZON 3.00 SEA OF CHARM 3.33 B ASSOCIATES 4.05 BERNALDA 4.38 MY BOY HARRY 5.10 ROKUNI CHEPSTOW 2.10 HINT OF THE JUNGLE 2.40 TOO MUCH TREVOR 3.10 SEREN STAR 3.45 SAFFREDI 4.20 CALIBOS 4.50 SPIRIT OF THE BAY WORCESTER 5.05 DAVIDOC 5.40 RATHMACKNEE 6.12 TO BE SURE 6.45 KOPA KILANA 7.20 BETTY’S TIARA 7.50 SHANDANCER 8.25 ORANGE DIAMOND 8.55 SIXTY PLUS EPSOM 5.55 VICTORIOUS ONE 6.30 TEX 7.00 OJ LIFESTYLE 7.35 PRIDE OF NEPAL 8.05 CRIMSON SPIRIT 8.40 SUZUKA (NAP) DOUBLE: SUZUKA and DUKE’S COMMAND