Best bet for the horse racing Saturday at Newbury, York and the Curragh

It has been a very quiet week for me, just the one bet in the shape of Youthful on Wednesday that was sadly a loser. I have three fancies for Saturday on what is a very busy weekend of horse racing – some best watched rather than punted on I would say. ITV4 has racing on the schedule Saturday and Sunday as well of course as coverage on all the usual racing channels so plenty to watch if you aint going out. I have a bunch of old reprobates at Triple G Towers for a beer and a BBQ over the weekend as we can’t really do much else at the moment, and anyhow what more could you want than good company cold beer and cracking horse racing.  

The weather is set pretty fair for the UK and Ireland all weekend so we should have good racing ground. I will go through my bets in time order.  

The 1.55 at York is the Group Three 1m6f John Smith's Silver Cup Stakes. Moonlight Spirit looked to be improving for the step-up in distance last back end winning a G.3 in France before finishing second less than a length to Technician in the G.2 Prix Chaudenay. Gelded over the winter the extreme test of the G.1 Gold Cup at Ascot last month on his return to action proved too far but Buick was far from hard on him when it was clear he didn’t stay; in fact he had to visit the Stewards to explain why he eased his mount so much, jockey said gelding had no more to give. Back in calmer waters over a more suitable test the four-year-old is fancied to get back in the winners enclosure here at 5-2.  

Over to Ireland for the Group Two Paddy Power Minstrel Stakes at 5.45. Romanised put in some good performances last season and is feared but I like Lancaster House. The lightly raced four-year-old looked well winning the Group Three Gladness Stakes last month and should still have plenty of improvement to come yet. Get on at Evens.  

The Group One 1m4f Juddmonte Irish Oaks is the main event of the evening over the Irish Sea at 7.15. Love will miss the race and will instead be aimed at next month's Darley Yorkshire Oaks, trainer Aidan O'Brien revealed on Monday whilst French Oaks winner Fancy Blue is heading for the Nassau Stakes meaning it is a slightly watered own field quality wise. Cayenne Pepper is now the general market leader. No disgrace getting beat by Magical in the Pretty Polly Stakes here at the Curragh last month and with the other two missing she has a big chance. Oaks second Ennistymon is the other market principal. That said, I am on the Aidan O’Brien trained Snow at the 5-1 that I took on Thursday; drifted since.  I liked the way she won the G.3 Munster Oaks at Cork, she looked better the further they went, and the chestnut filly is fancied to take this.  

Be lucky