Best bets for the horse racing Friday 28th June

Three bets for me on Friday, two out in Ireland at the big Curragh meeting and one up in Geordieland in the evening.

Pink Dogwood is one of three runners for Aidan O’Brien in the Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh on Friday the 1m2f Group One being due off at 5.25. As a three-year-old she gets a chunk of weight off the older horses at this time of year and simply has to be in the shortlist. She looks to be O’Brien’s chief hope ahead of stable companions Magic Wand and Happen.

Charlie Appleby’s three-time Group One winner, and a favourite of mine, Wild Illusion arriving as the top-rated filly but she has to give the 3yo’s 12lb, can she do it? The going is described as good-good to yielding in places which will suit her and she would be my pick without a second thought without the weight-for-age allowance. She would have blown away any cobwebs with her recent run over a slightly inadequate 1m1f at Longchamp last month and my fingers are crossed her superior experience will pay off. I have grabbed a bit of the 15-8 about the Godolphin filly.

Earlier on the card they have the Group Two Comer Group International Curragh Cup over 1m6f at 3.45. Southern France has a habit of finding one too good but is obviously decent and can be forgiven his run at Ascot over to short a trip. There is nothing of the calibre of a Stradivarius or Kew Gardens here and the 4yo is fancied to get back to winning ways – I will jump on when the Bookies price up. Stablemate Western Australia is on a recovery mission having never got involved in the Queens Vase so Latrobe who steps back up to the sort of trip that should suit is feared most of the opposition.

The Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes for the 2yo’s is best watched for future pointers.

Up at Newcastle for the evening meeting, they have the Group Three 1m2f Betfair Casino Hoppings Fillies' Stakes at 7.05. Nyaleti steps-up in trip and down in class after her run at Ascot in the G.2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes. The grey ran here in a Listed heat over the straight 8f in March 2018 and actually went well for a long way before fading out of contention suggesting the surface is of no concern. At her best, she is considerably better than these and I have taken another chance with her at 6-1. Sun Maiden is the very obvious danger on the form of their meeting at York in May but that was on good-firm and I am convinced Nyaleti can win a race such as this.

Be lucky