Best bets for the horse racing from Meydan and Wolverhampton Thursday 7th January

Bad news first,  racing at Clonmel on Thursday has been cancelled after the track was found to be frozen in places during its morning inspection. Musselburgh was already abandoned due to frost and Ffos Las must pass a second inspection at 10am. It's colder than a mother-in-laws love at Triple G Towers so no surprise I suppose. Luckily my fancies for the day will run.  You will have to wait until late afternoon for the bets and then they come along in the space of five minutes – a busy and hopefully profitable few moments.  

It’s January, it is Thursday, it is racing from Meydan though it’s not actually the Dubai Carnival as yet. The Dubai Racing Club announced last year that the Carnival will commence this year on Thursday 21st January and will run over six consecutive Thursdays; slightly watered down from previous years. We then have Super Saturday on 6th March, with Dubai World Cup meeting itself on Saturday 27th March.

I think it is a tricky card and I am actually only having one bet. The main event out at Meydan is the 7f UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Presented By Longines Conditions Stakes on the dirt track at 4.15 and that’s the race to bet in. There are few you may well recognise from runs in the UK and the one I like is Looktotherainbow for Charlie Appleby ridden by William Buick. Everything suggets she is the yard and Godolphin pick. She progressed as a two-year-old having been a beaten favourite in a 7f Newmarket maiden in August she improved when close-up third at Chelmsford in October getting hampered late and then gained an opening win at Kempton later that month. By Dubawi out of Mujarah she is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winning miler Ribchester amongst others. I have 9-4 this morning. Super Chianti is the fancy of a few off her debut win whilst Soft Whisper could make her presence felt if transferring her turf form to this surface.  

Here in the UK the evening meeting at Wolverhampton on the Tapeta is where I am getting involved. I wanted to back another from the yard of Appleby in the shape of Castlebar in the 5.30 the Ladbrokes Watch Racing Online For Free Handicap but he will be odds-on. The one I have backed is Space Kid in the 4.20 the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football Handicap over 1m½f. A winner over track and trip in November he followed that with a fine effort in defeat at Southwell in December; front two clear of the rest. He is due to rise another 4lb in the ratings after this and hopefully he can take advantage of a mark of 62. I am on at 100-30.  

Be lucky