Best bets for the horse racing this weekend

Hello dear reader, Bonjour and top o' the mornin to ya. What’s he on about I hear you cry.

Well, it is a very busy couple of days of horse racing again this weekend and I am having bets here in the UK, across the Irish Sea at the Curragh and over the Channel in France at Saint-Cloud.

I will start here in the UK. It’s a fair card on the Tapeta up at Newcastle but one that won’t be there is last year’s Northumberland Plate winner Withhold has been ruled out of a repeat bid after a bad scope. It is interesting that Invincible Army is out again quickly for the 6f Group Three Chipchase Stakes at 2.25. He was put in his place in the G.1 Diamond Jubilee at Ascot last weekend but is, without doubt, the one to beat dropping back to this level having won a Doncaster listed race and York Group 2 earlier this year. He should be fine on the surface and I have the 7-4.

At HQ Newmarket at 3.15 Glorious Journey is fancied to get back to winning ways on the 7f Group Three Criterion Stakes. This is a competitive heat but the Charlie Appleby trained 4yo has looked likely to go in again soon on his two runs this season went well in the Victoria Cup at Ascot on seasonal debut and then second in a Listed race at Windsor last time. I have a bit of the 100-30 Paddy Power went on Friday.

Over at the Curragh Anthony Van Dyck goes for the Derby double out in Ireland with the Irish Derby due off at 5.20. I, of course, tipped him for the Epsom race and I was actually quite impressed though I know the form has been knocked by a few. Ryan Moore was confirmed as riding earlier this week and the colt has been slowly shrinking in price since – I took the 6-5 that was about on Monday and feel confident.

Temperatures in France have been hot all week and look set to continue to be red hot this weekend. Royal Ascot absentee Lah Ti Dar runs in Sunday's Group One 1m4f Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud. Still, to break her G.1 duck I think she may have to play second fiddle yet again as I think the 5yo mare Morgan Le Faye should prove too strong for her. My biggest concern for the Andre Fabre trained Godolphin owned mare is the inevitable drying ground but she has got form on good and has been in fine form this season. I took the 2-1 that was briefly about on Thursday.

Be lucky