The Punt Acca: Harry Wilson's three horse racing tips for the opening day of the July festival at Newmarket

Three horses to include in a treble on Thursday...

Malc (2.25 Newmarket)

His debut win and his second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot last time both hinted that Malc may benefit from this extra furlong and his experience could count for plenty among many once-raced horses in opposition. He was green and a touch outpaced in the early stages on his first start at Carlisle before travelling strongly into contention and winning eased down, and he belied his ridiculous odds of 66-1 when coming home well in the closing stages to fill the runner-up spot behind 150-1 winner Valiant Force at the royal meeting last month.

Executive Decision (3.00 Newmarket)

The fact Jamie Osborne chucked Executive Decision straight into a Royal Ascot handicap on her stable debut suggested to me he felt she was well handicapped, and that could well be proven now she returns to 6f. Her victory in a 5½f Navan maiden last year has been well advertised since, with the second (rated 90) and fourth (83) winning their next starts and the third now rated 97 after two victories and a neck defeat at Listed level. That form is very strong, and she followed up with a fifth in a 6f Listed event at Fairyhouse, where she was far too keen to do herself justice, before finishing second when trying to lump top weight in a Premier handicap on her final Irish start for Jessica Harrington. 

She returned from 229 days off for her new stable in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes, where she was an eyecatching fifth, staying on well having been short of room and forced to switch on a couple of occasions. It looked like she would be suited to an extra furlong that day and she should also benefit from that first start of the season. She's actually 2lb better off with Frankness, who finished half a length behind her at Royal Ascot, yet he's vying for favouritism and Executive Decision can be backed at around 20-1. That price is far too big.

Nostrum (4.45 Newmarket)

I was privileged to be at Sandown when Nostrum made a superb winning debut in a 7f maiden at Sandown in July last year, and I was astonished how professional he was given how massive he was. He very much looked like one who would be better as a three-year-old, when he'd grown into his massive frame, but the way he quickened up and stayed strongly suggested we could be dealing with a top-class colt. He confirmed that impression when landing the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket, readily accounting for Chesham winner Holloway Boy and Victory Dance, who had been beaten just a head in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes.

His only defeat as a juvenile came at the hands of Chaldean, who also runs in the Juddmonte silks, in the Group 1 Dewhurst at Newmarket in October, after which he was around 8-1 for the 2,000 Guineas. However, a pulled muscle ruled him out of the Classic and this will be his first start as a three-year-old after 278 days off, but that Dewhurst form was duly franked when the winner followed up in the Newmarket Classic. This mile trip will be absolutely no problem to him and it could be the starting point of a very productive campaign.

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