The Weekend Winners panel is back to preview an exciting day of racing from Newbury, highlighted by the Group 3 Greenham Stakes. Eight horses are competing in the seven-furlong event, with Zavateri, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, and Aidan O'Brien's Albert Einstein currently leading the pack. Also participating are Title Role, Alparslan, Gonna Fly, and Needle Match. According to one expert, "This race is truly captivating on paper.
The favorite, Zavateri, struggled at Newmarket and will appreciate the return to a straight track. However, his size and pedigree suggest he may not train on, making him a risky bet. 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 Dewhurst run. He drifted to a significant price that day, indicating something was amiss. With a lack of pace in this race, he could secure an easy lead and dominate." Another expert disagrees, saying, "I'm supporting Zavateri, who won the National Stakes last season and doesn't carry a Group 1 penalty for that win. He would need to underperform substantially to be beaten today.
The other runners, such as Albert Einstein and Title Role, have question marks, so I'm sticking with the class angle, which I believe should be shorter than his current price. A third expert has a different opinion, "I'm choosing Needle Match, who doesn't fit the profile of recent winners. However, his trainer has expressed confidence in his three-year-olds this season, and this horse could be one of them.
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, but the price is decent. I want to challenge the favorite in his seasonal reappearance."