2012 Newbury Saturday Betting Preview Part One

 There are eight solid races set to go at Newbury tomorrow and several Group level contests anchor the card. A number of the premier races will be featured during the day's Scoop6 while punters can expect some seriously good prices on several of the high-quality handicaps on offer for Saturday. The flat season looks to be well and truly under way now that we've just had the Craven run on Thursday.

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Following Punchestown next week there won't be anymore significant jumps action for quite some time.

Right now we'll be taking a look at each of the day's contests and trying to get an accurate measure of how things might shape up.

In the opener we've got at 1:30, 14 maidens line up and a few of them come in unraced. Punters will obviously be looking in the direction of the premier connections as Noble Mission looks to be about s good as they come. Campaigned by Juddmonte, trained by Sir Henry Cecil and piloted by Tom Queally, this three-year-old son of Galileo is out of a Danehill mare. He was well beaten on debut by the fancied Swedish Sailor, who triumphed by 5L for Mahmood Al Zarooni.

The conditions of this race are quite similar to what they were on the for Noble Mission and the wager is basically that he's improved a bit and should flourish at 1m given his pedigree.

Those looking for a longer shot will do well with Ibtahaj, who lines up for Godolphin. Saeed Bin Suroor saw him run third in a maiden effort at Newcastle last September.

The Group 3 John Porter Stakes sees a mere seven contestants and the Blue Team is at the top of the weights here with Modun giving a few pounds to the others despite boasting a lower official rating. He's a Group 3 winner from Kempton last year and managed a fourth-place showing in the Nad Al Sheba Trophy at Meydan back in March – his sole effort in Dubai this year. He should benefit from the effort and could kick on here if he finds the ground to be suitable.

Arctic Cosmos deserves respect and should take a solid sum from the betting public. John Gosden's five-year-old scored by a six-length margin in a listed effort at Kempton on his seasonal debut. Many recognize him from winning the St Leger back in 2010 and has only been on course three times since then. If he runs to potential he is certainly dangerous and knows a thing or two about winning at long distances. His victory last time out is an indication that he's back in the mix right now.