Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 15th May

York was a bit of a rollercoaster for me Wednesday leaving me scratching my head, Thursday a big winning day and then Friday three bets finishing 3rd, 3rd and 2nd! We move on to the weekend and there is plenty to get stuck into. It’s a busy Saturday with several bets running for me at Newbury and Newmarket on a packed afternoon of horse racing. One I did back overnight the others I am on best odds guaranteed this morning.

Best bets for the horse racing at Newmarket

It is a tried and tested theory for me to back Godolphin newcomers at HQ and Charlie Appleby sends Before Dawn for the 6f Betway British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at 1.30. She is by Dark Angel out of Mistrusting so the grey is therefore a full-sister to smart G.2 winner up to a mile Althiqa (won on debut at two). Sire was of course top-class at two and the dam won on her second start as well so all looks set for this one to be ready to go. Comes here rather than a race at Windsor on Monday which is also seen as a positive. At 15-8 I have to be on.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Newbury

At 1.50 we have the Listed 6f BetVictor Carnarvon Stakes. Tactical made a winning return in the Free Handicap at Newmarket last month and has an obvious chance, I like him and have backed him in the past, but I am taking him on here. Creative Force is one I have talked of and backed in all but one of his four career starts. As I have said before he has obviously had his problems but you can’t knock the way he has gone so far this season, two from two, and I remain confident he will be Group class eventually. At 9-4 looks well worth a punt here with improvement again likely and he get 3lb from the jolly.  

A fit and well Logician would surely win the Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes over 1m4f at 2.25 but he hasn't been seen since well beaten in the G.3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at York in October and I will be watching rather than betting in this heat, especially at the price.

They face 1m2f at 3.00 for the BetVictor London Gold Cup Handicap. I have tipped the unbeaten Tamborrada on three occasions thus far (was a non-runner once) and he looks a talent. Showed a brave and battling attitude when winning last time, second won next time franking the form, and though an 8lb rise for that success is a slight worry he remains open to plenty of improvement and can remain unbeaten. I have the 11-2.  

At 3.35 it is the Group One Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes over a mile, the race of the day. Palace Pier will be odds-on and rightly so it has to be said. He looked pretty good winning the bet365 Mile at Sandown by eight lengths on his reappearance this season and would be considered by most as the best miler in Europe at this time. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Palace Pier’s only career defeat to date came when third in last October’s QEII Stakes on Champions Day on unsuitably soft ground. The rain has been around and the going is officially Good-Soft, Soft in places as I write with every chance of rain overnight and tomorrow if the forecast is correct. If there is a chink in the armour soft would be it. One with a bit of form on soft is of course is Safe Voyage who we haven’t seen since the G.1 Breeders' Cup Mile having gone close when third in the 7f Prix de la Foret before that. With the weather forecast as it is the eight-year-old could prove a fair each-way punt. I know he is seen as a seven furlong specialist but the gelding has won over a mile and the softer it gets the happier connections will be surely. 16-1 might like huge by the time they go to post if they get much more rain and for that reason, I got on this one overnight each-way. Top Rank will like it soft under hoof as well but this is a different level to anything he has done so far.  

I said it was a busy day for me and I am on one in the 4.10 the Listed Haras De Bouquetot Fillies' Trial Stakes over 1m2f as well. A'shaari is one of my Dirty Dozen for the season and was my Oaks ante-post punt. She hasn’t lived up to those expectations yet, blotted her copybook last time in the Pretty Polly Stakes. I aint giving up on her yet and have the 11-2 about her getting back to winning ways.  

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