Best bets for the horse racing Sunday 28th April 2024

Best bets for the horse racing at Sha Tin

The first of the big races is off at 7.50am our time the Group One 6f The Chairman's Sprint Prize Stakes. California Spangle is rated 7lb higher at least then his opposition here and lines-up off the back of winning the G.1 6f Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in March. Stall seven makes things a little tricky, and he is of course usually running over seven or eight-furlongs here, but he usually goes forward so Brenton Avdulla, who rode him at Meydan and here when he won the 7f The Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup Stakes at the start of March, should be able to bounce out and lead this field a merry dance. I am on at 9-4.

The Group One The Fwd Champions Mile Stakes is due off at 9.00. Golden Sixty will be jolly for this being another rated 7lb better than the rest of the field. His one defeat since February 2022 came in the The Longines Hong Kong Mile Stakes in December of that year when he was beaten a neck just unable to reel in no other than California Spangle! Plenty short enough at 11-10 I wouldn’t be offering you 2's and he looks a solid selection.

Dubai Honour has been sent out to Hong Kong to run at Sha Tin by the team at Somerville Lodge and Tom Marquand has made the journey with the six-year-old for Group One The Fwd QEII Cup Stakes due off at 9.40am our time here in the UK. Third last year Marquand perhaps let the home team get the jump on him turning from home but was beaten far and square in truth. Winner of the 1m2f G.1 The Longines Hong Kong Cup in December and G.1 1m2f Hong Kong Gold Cup last time out in February Romantic Warrior will be jolly defending his crown, won the last two renewals, and will be hard to beat. Stall ten of eleven does make the task a little harder but you can see the champ getting across into a decent enough slot and then running away from them down the home-straight. I am on at 13-8. Prognosis, second last year, looks the most likely to trouble the jolly yet again.

Best bet for the horse racing at Longchamp

The Group One 1m2½f Prix Ganay is the race of the day in France due off at 2.50. Fantastic Moon ran a stinker in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and was beaten in the Listed 1m2f BSV Spezialtiefbau GmbH Preis von Dahlwitz at Hoppegarten on seasonal debut recently and for me is not one to be backing at the moment. Zarakem and Horizon Dore were first and second in the G.2 Prix d'Harcourt on heavy earlier this month and are both good but not top-class quite. Birr Castle falls into the same category. Al Riffa chased home Ace Impact in the G.2 1m2f Prix Guillaume d'Ornano when last seen in August, no shame in that, and the lightly raced four-year-old could have more to offer yet for trainer Joseph O’Brien. Winner of the G.1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes as a two-year-old it’s nice to see him running at four and after just the four career starts there is every chance he could leave his current rating of 112 far behind as the season progresses. All being well he can take this against a field of pretty exposed types and could be one to watch this season in some big races across Europe. I am on at 5-2.

Be lucky