The Weekend Winners panel is back to preview an exciting day of racing from Newbury, with the Group 3 Greenham Stakes being the main event. Eight horses will compete in the seven-furlong contest, with Zavateri, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, and Albert Einstein, trained by Aidan O'Brien, currently leading the field.
Other notable contenders include Title Role, Alparslan, Gonna Fly, and Needle Match. According to the panel, "This is a highly intriguing race on paper. The favorite, Zavateri, struggled at Newmarket and will likely prefer the straight track at Newbury. However, it's uncertain whether he will continue to improve given his size and pedigree.
I'm going to take a chance against him. I'm backing Alparslan, who has some ground to make up against Zavateri based on their previous meeting in the Dewhurst. He drifted to a large price that day, which suggests something may have been amiss. With a lack of pace in the race, he could take an easy lead and dominate.
Stay up-to-date with all the latest racing news, interviews, and features on your phone. Find out more. I'm supporting Zavateri, who won the National Stakes last season and doesn't have a Group 1 penalty for that win here, which is a significant advantage.
He would need to underperform substantially to be beaten today. There are many question marks surrounding other runners, such as Albert Einstein and Title Role, so I'm sticking with the class angle - who I believe should be at a shorter price than their current odds. Today on Sky Sports Racing: Zavateri and Albert Einstein clash in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
Today on Sky Sports Racing: The Spring Trials weekend begins at Newbury. Newmarket: Oxagon wins the Craven Stakes for the in-form Gosden team.
Newmarket: Azleet enters 1000 Guineas contention after a 50-1 win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes. Hollie Doyle's blog: Hoping to learn more about Derby hope Wareeth in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket. Evan Williams: Trainer sentenced to three years in prison for causing grievous bodily harm with intent over a hockey stick attack on a 72-year-old.
I'm backing Needle Match, who doesn't fit the typical profile of recent winners. However, his trainer has made comments suggesting he has some promising three-year-olds this season, and this horse could be one of them. See the latest horse racing news, interviews, and features from Sky Sports Racing.
He won on soft ground at Newbury, but I don't think faster ground will be an issue based on his pedigree. He needs to take a significant step forward from his previous effort, but he's a decent price to do so. While the favorite has the best form, I want to take him on in his seasonal debut.
Watch the full Weekend Winners episode on the At The Races YouTube channel.