Best bet for the horse racing this weekend

It is the last day of the Jumps season proper on Saturday with a decent card at Sandown. They race on the Flat at Leicester, Ripon, Haydock and Doncaster on turf and up at Wolverhampton on the Tapeta in the evening.  I am on a mini recovery mission after a disappointing Friday afternoon and will be having three bets to win those loses back and then some. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Sandown Park  

I usually leave the Jumps game well alone at this time of year but I have to back good old Altior in the Grade One bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown due off at 3.05. He has of course had his problems in recent times but he is a winner of twenty-one races in all, including fifteen of his seventeen starts over fences and the last three running's of this, at long odds on each time! It is a sign of the difficulties he has had that you can get 5-2 about him this year but if, and there is the if, but if a little of the old sparkle is there on Saturday afternoon that price could look very generous. I am on and will be cheering him on possibly for the last time.  

Best bet for the horse racing at Leicester

The race of interest to me at Leicester is the Listed 7f Elusive Bloodstock EBF Stallions King Richard III Stakes at 2.10. I can’t get Mums Tipple right and can’t see the gelding giving this field 3ln anyway. Lord Campari could be an improver this year but for me will need to have improve significantly to win this and he has to prove he has learnt to settle. My cash is on Pogo. The five-year-old trained by Charlie Hills has the best and most reliable form on show to my eyes and is fancied to get his campaign off to a winning start. I wouldn’t be surprised if he led and made this a bit of a test, has winning form over a mile, and he should be able to take these out of their comfort zone. I have the 5-2 Friday afternoon.  

Best bet for the horse racing at Haydock Park

Saeed bin Suroor appeared to have half the yard entered this weekend across Doncaster, Haydock, Leicester, Ripon and Wolverhampton Saturday plus a few at Salisbury and Wetherby on Sunday. That has been narrowed down somewhat and one of his should be backed. The race is the mile Join Casumo Today EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes up at Haydock due off at 3.25. Karouka is the only runner that Saeed bin Suroor has sent up to Merseyside and the filly is an interesting one. By Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad she is out of Dubai Fashion who was trained by bin Suroor to win a couple of races over a mile in her career and was Listed placed. Saeed certainly knows the family. On the dam side Dubai Fashion is by Dubawi, who he trained, and out of Oriental Fashion a filly he also trained to win a few races including the mile G.2 Premio Ribot out in Italy in her racing career. The sire of Awtaad is Cape Cross a top-class miler, you guessed it, trained by Saeed bin Suroor! She is 6-1 with Bet365 who are the only ones chalked-up as I write so I will grab the best price I can when a couple more go up.   

Be lucky