Best bets for the horse racing Friday 9th June

We are entering a few days in which most of my interest is overseas. There are a couple of Group Three races at Haydock on Saturday and I will be involved in at least one of them, but most of my interest is elsewhere around the horse racing globe.

One I have talked of before, Ruling Dynasty, goes at Haydock this evening but has to give 21lb and upwards to the field under race conditions so is best watched tonight I would suggest as that's a huge ask. I have two bets for Friday both out in New York. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Belmont Park

William Buick was a notable exception from jockeys riding here in the UK on Thursday, and for the next couple of days, the reason being he is across the Pond to ride three for Godolphin over the weekend at Belmont Park. The yard hasn’t had a winner as yet in June (actually 10 days since last win) so hopefully their luck can improve out in New York.

The first race of interest is the 1m2f Grade One Belmont Park New York Stakes at 9.41 our time on the Turf track. With The Moonlight will surely appreciate the going out in America, ran no sort of race on soft last time at Newmarket. She won the G.3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes last year and started this year encouragingly taking a couple of G.2’s in Meydan before finishing second in the G.1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April. She gets in with just 8-10 to carry here under race conditions meaning she gets weight off all her rivals. 5-1 is about this morning and I have that. War Like Goddess is the obvious danger

Later at 10.47 13 line-up for the 2m Grade Two Belmont Gold Cup Stakes. The Yanks aren’t exactly known for their stayers and it’s no surprise to see a couple of European raiders and an ex-French mare. Amazing Grace moved from France earlier this year and attempts the trip for the first time. High Definition, my Supreme Hurdle bet at Cheltenham reverts to the flat which is an interesting decision. He never quite made it at the top-level of the Flat and I can’t be backing him for this having been Hurdling, though he could be in the mix if returning to the Flat reignites something in him. Siskany is fancied to take this on his first visit to the U.S.A. He has won a couple of times in Meydan and is the solid option in this field as the one guaranteed to stay and being as consistent as the day is long, he rarely runs a bad race. At 6-4 this morning I am on. Charlie Appleby said on the Godolphin website “This will be Siskany’s first start in the US, but he is a seasoned campaigner with some strong international form to his name. He ran well in the Yorkshire Cup, when he was taking on some very good European stayers, and came out of the race in good form. Two miles around Belmont should be within his compass and he will be very competitive if he runs up to his best.”

Be lucky