Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 2nd October

I am keeping the powder dry to an extent on Saturday with the big meeting out in France at Longchamp on Sunday having preoccupied my mind for a few days now. That said I don’t fancy that much Saturday and in fact I have had just two bets. I have one in France at day-one of the Longchamp meeting and one at Newmarket that runs in a Maiden race. It’s a busy half-an-hour or so at lunchtime then feet-up waiting for Sunday.  

The horse racing at Ascot  

Hukum runs in the 1m4f Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot due off at 2.40. I am at a loss to explain what happened at Kempton last time, it all appeared to be going to plan but when it mattered, he simply didn’t get going and was beaten a head at long odds-on. Owen Burrows’ stable star has to give 3lb or more to the field due to being a dual G.3 winner this season. I have backed him a few times but I am going to leave him today.    

Best bet for the horse racing at Longchamp

Manobo was entered in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot but instead is across the channel at Longchamp on the Group One 1m7f Qatar Prix Chaudenay at 12.23. He arrives with three 1’s against his name from three runs and having won a Listed heat at Saint-Cloud last time in the style of a very good horse. The distance is of course an unknown but he is progressing with every run and the further he goes. I took Evens on Thursday. Stable mate Kemari is feared stepping back up on trip as is the Ballydoyle runner Interpretation.

Best bet for the horse racing at Newmarket

The mile Group One Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket is the race of the day on Saturday due off at 2.55. I really wanted to back Alcohol Free and nearly did earlier this week, luckily, I held off as she wasn’t declared! Snow Lantern heads the market but her efforts to date on soft ground leaves her with questions to answer for me; with the going likely to be pretty soft under hoof I can’t back her. I have decided to leave the race alone.

The one I have backed runs in the mile Mansionbet Best Odds Guaranteed EBF Maiden Stakes at 1.10. The horse in question is a Charlie Appleby trained newcomer in the shape of chestnut colt Al Nafir. By Dubawi out of Nightime he is a full-brother to none other than Ghaiyyath and half-brother to four other winners including the G.1 Man O’ War Stakes winner Zhukova. He cost a cool €1,200,000 as a foal and has clearly been brought along slowly having been foaled in March. You would expect him to improve with age and for going middle-distances in time so he is one for the notebook no matter what happened on his debut. The yard is flying and this one is their sole runner on the day. William Buick rides and even though he is daft short for one making debut I am on at the Evens overnight.  

Be lucky