Best bets for the horse racing the weekend 8th and 9th September 2018

Friday is the annual jolly boys day out at the Oval for the first day of the Final Test against India. I will no doubt need a winner or two to pay for the astronomical bar bill, so hopefully, I have three for the racing Saturday, two for Sunday and one for the future. I am going up nice an early as the weather looks set fair and prices were tempting. 

Firstly, as I wrote earlier this week, Enable returns to the track in the 1m4f Group Three September Stakes at 2.05 over at Kempton. The filly is 5-1 for the Arc at the time of writing and if she trots up in this race her price for the first weekend of October will tumble so I have taken the 5-1 for the Arc rather than bet odds-on in this. My reasoning can be found on the separate Arc ante-post bet article of Tuesday. John Gosden said on Tuesday following a seven furlongs breeze on the Al Bahathri Polytrack: "Enable is very fresh in every sense of the word and we were pleased with what we saw this morning. It will be nice to get her back on track and the September Stakes falls just right as it's a month before the Arc. Hopefully, she can get the freshness out of herself there and all roads then lead to Paris." Gosden has a second string to his bow in Ebor second Weekender, who is also owned by Khalid Abdullah. Roger Charlton’s Cribbs Causeway and the Richard Hannon-trained Peak Princess complete the five-strong field.

Midi, a winner for us the other day, goes again in the 1m4f Lavazza Stakes at Ascot due off at 3.55. The way he has won his two races as a 3yo suggest the extra couple of furlongs for this should suit but he did make quite hard work of it the other day. Ghostwatch is one I have backed a couple of times this year from the Charlie Appleby yard and he got the job done for me at Sandown in June. I wasn’t on last time when he won at York, didn’t bet in the heat, but this is the chosen race from three entries he had for Saturday. No concerns about him staying as he has won over 1m6f and at 6-1 he has a big chance to my eye as he should prove Pattern class sooner rather than later.

Beatboxer arrives two from two and will be a short price for the Listed 32Red Casino Ascendant Stakes at Haydock due off at 3.00. I am taking him on though with the Tom Dascombe trained Great Scot at 4-1. Winner of his first two starts he was beaten a neck out in France in a Listed heat at Deauville last month. Prior to that his second win was over seven here at Haydock with Line Of Duty in second and that colt of course franked the form winning at Goodwood earlier this week – tipped on here at 9-4.

Frankie Dettori will take to the sky after riding Enable at Kempton in order to make the 200+ mile trip up to Haydock to get the leg up from George Scott to partner James Garfield in the Group One 32Red Sprint Cup at 4.15. He will though have to take on Harry Angel who is on a recovery mission having made a right old hash of getting out of the stalls in the G.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes last time as his Ascot hoodoo struck again. Provided he doesn’t blow-up before the start the Godolphin owned colt should win for the second year running and I have the 6-4 that was about earlier this week with fingers crossed he behaves. Blue Point won't run and will be aimed at the newly promoted to Group One status Flying Five at the Curragh next weekend.

Expert Eye goes in the Group One Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at Longchamp on Sunday at 3.55 and has been backed ante-post at 7-2. The way they tend to run in France should suit and it is hoped he can gain revenge on Lightning Spear for the defeat in the G.1 Sussex Stakes.

2yo Godolphin colt Royal Marine trained by Saeed bin Suroor is the fourth foal of Inner Secret and so a half-brother to winners Secret Ambition, Crystal River and Midnight Meeting. He was sixth on debut at HQ over six last month. He is another Godolphin one that had been entered everywhere this weekend but the only race he is left in is the Judith Marshall Memorial British EBF Stallions Novice Stakes at York on Sunday due off at 3.25. If he takes up the engagement take note and get on.

Be lucky