Best bets for the horse racing Sunday 11th May 2024

Longchamp France and Leopardstown in Ireland are the big meetings Sunday with Group races on both their cards. Truth be told I am far more excited by the card up at Newcastle on the Tapeta this afternoon and evening as the three-year-old I have a handful of shares in with the Raceshare team, Treasure Time, is due to make his seasonal reappearance. I have four fancies for Sunday afternoon in a busy hour-and-a-half or so. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Leopardstown

Across the Irish Sea at Leopardstown they also host Group action with three Group races on their card. The Group Three mile Al Shira'aa Racing "Mutamakina" Stakes at 2.25 is the race of interest to me with One Look heading the market. Having been an impressive winner on her sole start at two at the Curragh she came out to start her three-year-old campaign at Cork in March winning a 7f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Race hard held at 1-20! This is a step-up in clas to say the least but she really has caught the eye in her two starts and has the Irish 1,000 Guineas as an option later this month. Short at 11-10 BPG she looks a pretty solid bet to me as I believe she will surely be chasing bigger prizes this season.

The 1m2f Group Three Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at 3.35 isn’t a race to bet on simply as it looks at the mercy of Los Angeles and he is understandably odds-on. He didn’t make debut until September last year winning a 1m1f Maiden at Tipperary going away. The team at Ballydoyle didn’t mess about as he then went to Saint-Cloud for the G.1 1m2f Criterium de Saint-Cloud which he won in a four-way battle in the final-furlong getting the better of Stunning Peach, Stablemate Illinois and Ramadan on very soft going. Illinois franked the form in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial yesterday whilst Ramadan runs in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp at 3.30 this afternoon.

Best bets for the horse racing at Longchamp

Over the Channel in Paris they have a decent card at Longchamp that includes the French 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Poule d'Essai des Poulain. The going is very soft. 

The first of the big races is at 2.50 the Group One mile Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for the fillies. Romantic Style has been aimed at this by Charlie Appleby for a while the master of Moulton Paddocks convinced the easier mile around a bend will suit her than the straight mile at HQ. She started her three-year-old campaign winning the G.3 7f Prix Imprudence at Deauville on heavy ground last month with subsequent 1,000 Guineas third Ramatuelle in second that day so the form looks solid. Seventh on debut at Newbury in August, the Might Of Thunder filly went on to dominate a Yarmouth Novice race before ending a progressive two-year-old campaign with a clear-cut success in Newmarket’s Listed Bosra Sham Stakes. Her trainer Charlie Appleby said this week “Romantic Style goes into this in good order on the back of her win in the Prix Imprudence. She has definitely come on for that run and we are hopeful that she can see out the mile, although being drawn in 14 will make things slightly harder.” The draw certainly hasn’t helped but William Buick in the saddle should be able to get her in a decent enough slot early and all being well power clear up the straight. I am on at 3-1. Content over from Ballydoyle has to enter calculations whilst the unbeaten Louise Procter may turn out to be the home team's best hope.  

The colts are on display at 3.30 for the Group One mile Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains. The consistent Orne, owned by Al Shaqab Racing, has been sent over by team Gosden. Winner of the 7f G.3 Horris Hill Stakes at HQ last back end on heavy he has won well without winning on four starts this campaign. Last seen finishing second in the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford City Capulet and Brackens Laugh franked that form earlier this week at Chester. He may run a race at a price. Winner of the mile G.3 Prix de Fontainebleau over track and trip last time out Ramadan looks to have a big chance for the home team; second that afternoon Beaucatier re-opposes. His fourth in the 1m2f G.1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud last October looking decent form tying in with a couple of Ballydoyle runners this weekend; Illinois who was third was second in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial yesterday whilst Los Angeles, who won the four-way battle for the race, runs in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown five minutes after this race. Henry Longfellow is over from Ballydoyle with Ryan Moore getting the leg-up from Aidan O'Brien. Unbeaten at two in three starts he signed of his 2023 campaign winning the 7f G.1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes as he liked by 5-lengths. All three wins came on yielding or soft ground so the going in Paris is of little concern. Aidan O'Brien said this week "Henry Longfellow is just about ready to start off. We've been happy with his work, but we do feel he will come forward from Sunday. It's a different track to what he's used to and it will be interesting to see how he gets on around a bend. We haven't trained him like there's no tomorrow, so he will improve. Henry is a quicker horse than Diego Velazquez. Diego should get further than a mile, but we feel this experience will do him good. If things go according to plan, we will head on to the French Derby next." I think he'll be fine, stall six gives Moore the chance to get his mount a nice plot early, usually races prominently, and then kick clear down the home stretch. I am on at 11-8. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Newcastle

Treasure Time runs in the 6f Tips For Every Race At raceday-ready.com Maiden Stakes due off at 3.42. He takes up this engagement having had five entries so far this season, it is fair to say some thought has gone into where to start his three-year-old campaign by the team at Somerville Lodge. The uphill 4f finish on the straight course at Newcastle places an emphasis on stamina and I honestly think it may prove the perfect test for the gelding for his re-appearance having finished strongly over seven at Kempton on his last run in October. All over the show at Newbury on debut back in June, I was there as an owner that day and he played up from the pre-parade ring onwards and was gelded after that run! He was duly much more professional at Kempton and the horse he didn’t quite reel in that day, Ciro Di Marzio, remains entered in the Irish Derby albeit as a 50-1 shot; third at Kempton Cynosure has won since giving the form a nice look. The form of his debut run at Newbury back in June 2023 looks strong, winner Iberian ran in the 2,000 Guineas, having won the G.2 Champagne Stakes last year, and in total the race has thrown-up seven subsequent winners; surely he is a winner in waiting as they say. Tapeta is an unknown for him but he should be fine and Cieren Fallon is in the sadle again having rode him at Kempton. I am on at the 4's available this morning BPG. William Haggas mentioned Storm Star making debut for the Balding yard as a possible danger, owned by Jeff Smith, but that one has drifted a little overnight which looks a positive for the chances of 'Trevor' as he is known at Sommerville Lodge. Haggas was also confident we should have the measure of any of those that have run so far. Fingers are very much crossed for third time lucky for Treasure Time and then on into handicaps and beyond we can hopefully go as the season progresses. 

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