Best bets for the Boodles July Festival - day two Friday
One winner from my three bets on Thursday means it was a winning day, if not as good as I had hoped. They are pretty much certain to get the rain today at HQ and I expect the going to change from good-firm as the day goes on. There is plenty to enjoy but I am trying to be selective, especially with the likely going change in mind, and in fact have just the two fancies at Newmarket with one at Ascot and one out in France at Longchamp this evening.
Best bets for the horse racing at Newmarket Friday
Exciting juvenile Star Of Mystery bids for back-to-back wins at Newmarket’s July Course as she tackles Group Two company in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at 2.25. A half-sister to G.1 winners Althiqa and Mysterious Night she makes a quick return to action after storming to an easy four-length success in the Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Stakes at the start of the month over track and trip. Charlie Appleby said “Star Of Mystery came out of her recent win in good order and this looks a natural progression for her. A couple of her rivals bring Royal Ascot form into the race, which always warrants respect, but she looks the one to beat based on her Empress Stakes display.” She’s long odds-on and unbackable but certainly looks a two-year-old to keep an eye on.
At 3.35 we have the race of the day, the Group One Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes over a mile. Nashwa drops back to a mile as does Via Sistina, who won the G.1 Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last time, all of which suggests to me they will certainly go a good gallop here. Coppice arrives on a hat-trick following victories at Newcastle and Royal Ascot and will be partnered for the first time by Tom Marquand. As a three-year-old she of course gets the 9lb of the older fillies but I wonder if the older fillies dropping down in trip may take her out of her comfort zone and she won’t want too much rain. Remarquee has to be considered after her second in the G.1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but she was down the field on the 1,000 Guineas on soft and the form of her Fred Darling win is actually pretty weak; I wonder if she was slightly flattered by the Ascot run. The other three-year-old in the race is one I have backed a couple of times recently in the shape of Never Ending Story over from Ballydoyle. She won me a few quid when second in the G.1 Prix de Diane Longines over in France and was perhaps a little unlucky in running when down the field in the G.1 Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last time. It’s interesting that they drop her back to eight-furlongs here and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryan Moore happy if they do make this a bit of a test as she gets further and she has form on softer going as well. At 16-1 I think she is worth an each-way punt (3-places) and that Is what I have done.
Emperor's Star makes debut for Charlie Appleby with William Bucik onboard in the 7f Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes at 4.10 and I have a bit of the 11-8 early. Any regular reader will know my theory about backing Appleby debutants here, I back them simple as that, and there has been a bit of money for this one already as well. By Sea The Stars he is the first foal out of Warless, an unraced War Command mare from a good family that has produced plenty of winners. Godolphin paid €300,000 for him as a yearling.
Best bets for the horse racing at Ascot Friday
I tipped Sunset Point on his three-year-old debut at Windsor back in April when he won over 1m2f on the soft with what appeared a bit in hand. She was a little disappointing at Linfield on the Polytrack over 1m4f after that but looked good again at Goodwood last time when second over 1m4f off a mark of 90. She's up to 92 today in the 1m4f Long Harbour Derek Lucie-Smith British EBF Fillies' Handicap at 4.00 but Harry Davies takes 3lb off and at 4-1 she is wroth an investment.
Best bets for the horse racing at Longchamp Friday
The race of the day in France on Friday is the 1m4f Group One Grand Prix de Paris at 7.52pm. Oaks Winner Soul Sister was supplemented at Tuesdays confirmations stage by John and Thady Gosden with Kieran Shoemark staking over in the saddle with Frankie Dettori still on 'holiday'. At the time John Gosden said "Soul Sister has had a nice break since the Oaks and we are keen to let her run at Longchamp on Friday in the Grand Prix de Paris. The timing of the race fits well if we then wish to run her in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood." She gets the 3lb sex allowance and it is certainly interesting that connections are happy to take on the colts. Her two best efforts this year have been on much faster going, it’s pretty soft in France, and that is a slight concern for me. Ryan Moore makes the hop across the Channel after a couple of rides at Newmarket in the afternoon to ride Adelaide River. The colt certainly deserves a big win having been chasing home Auguste Rodin and Arrest so far this season and has to be considered off the back of his second in the G.1 Irish Derby last time; some suggested perhaps wasn’t given a tough time there…………The colt won’t mind getting his toe in and I have taken a chance on him at 5-1.Be lucky