It’s Day 2 of The July Festival 2025 and Dave Massey is back with his expert tips ahead of Friday’s action from the home of British flat racing. Read below for his exclusive preview for kwiff.
Dave Massey’s Huge Friday Tips: Newmarket’s July Festival 2025
Urban Glimpse (1.50) has been knocking at the door this season, and this looks a good opportunity for him to finally get it pushed open, and get that elusive win on the board.
July Festival 2025 Tips: Urban Glimpse (1:50 Newmarket)
He needed his first run of the year at Sandown when second to Sing Us A Song, just fading out of contention for the win up the hill as he got a bit tired late, but showed the benefits of that when only just denied at York last time, possibly leaving himself vulnerable late after moving up to be front rank from three furlongs out and leading at the furlong pole. Dante’s Lad was able to grab him in the final half-furlong but he went down fighting by half a length.
That form is working out nicely, the winner going in again at Windsor and the fourth and sixth picking up maidens at Salisbury, with Cape Breton, well behind Urban Glimpse at York, particularly impressive. Only nudged up a pound for that when the handicapper could have been more punishing, this looks a great chance for him to score.
July Festival 2025 Tips: Align The Stars (3:00 Newmarket EW
Align The Stars (3.00) had a terrific 2024, winning three good-quality handicaps on the bounce in the summer but as is so often the case, the handicapper caught up with him and he found life a lot harder after that. However, he looked like he’d retained all of his ability when a ¾l third to Al Qareem at Nottingham in the Further Flight first time up this year, form that looks all the better now, and bar one poor effort at Musselburgh where a slow start had him on the back foot early, he’s been pretty consistent.
Trying to give 7lb to the improving Caballo De Mar ay Haydock was always going to be a tough ask, but last time out at Ascot ran a cracker to finish a close seventh in the Ascot Stakes, sticking on well to the task. He looks to be coming back to form, and although Goodwood next month is probably high on the agenda, that doesn’t mean he can’t go well here. On form he should finish somewhere near Story Horse, yet he’s half the price, so to my eyes he represents decent each-way value today.
July Festival 2025 Tips: Rocking Ends (5:20 Newmarket) EW
Rocking Ends (5.20) hasn’t set the world alight in three starts this spring, and on the face of it a drop back to five furlongs today, after appearing to want all of six last time out, is hardly a positive move but he was a ready winner over this C&D last July, coming away at the finish, and having dropped to a mark 2lb lower than that today, there are reasons for thinking he could go close.
What Rocking Ends wants is a fast-run five furlongs where he can use his finishing pace to good effect, and so far this season he’s not really had those conditions, although he dropped a hint at Goodwood two starts back that he retains most of his ability, not getting a clear run but staying on well once the gaps came late. Here, he’s got at least three or four potential pacemakers to take him along, and the pace looks pretty much guaranteed to be a strong one; trainer Tom Clover continues in good form, and there are more plus points regarding his chance than first appears.
By Dave Massey
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