Best bets for the horse racing this weekend

Sandown is the main card where they switch to the Jumps on Saturday following the Flat card on Friday; the Grade One Celebration Chase is the main event. I am not getting involved at the Esher track and instead I am concentrating on the Flat.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Haydock

They get underway at 1.00 with the 1m3½f Red Rock Novice Stakes. Whilst a lot of the Charlie Appleby team were in Dubai New Comedy got off the mark at the first attempt in a 1m3f Novice Stakes at Southwell in January. It was pretty impressive that he won given that he was green as grass at times and clearly still had quite a bit to learn; he looked quite tall and possibly has some growing to do yet as well. The son of Sea The Stars has a penalty of course for that win but you would expect there’s more to come as it is a very nice family tree, half-brother to a couple of winners being out of Tearless who was a Listed winner in her day; Urban Sea, Street Cry and Sadlers Wells are all a generation or two back. I am on at 11-8.  

I backed the Juddmonte homebred Definite on his debut last season at Ffos Las and have been keeping track of him. The son of Kingman didn’t exactly set the world on fire as a two-year-old and did not trouble the judge in three starts. That does of course mean he now has a handicap mark, it’s 72, and having been gelded over the winter he makes his three-year-old bow in the 3.15 the mile Great Haigh Handicap. The blinkers go on for the first time and as he was also entered at Thirsk on Monday but he comes for the slightly tougher looking assignment suggests connections might fancy their chances. I have taken a chance at 11-1 each-way that he has improved over the winter and can at least get into the shake-up.  

Best bet for the horse racing at Leicester

I am leaving the Listed King Richard III Stakes alone as that could turn into a mess with just three runners and I can’t split Path Of Thunder and Happy Power anyway. Ruling Dynasty had three future entries against his name at the start of the week, one being the Derby, and the three-year-old chestnut colt will make debut for the Moulton Paddocks team in the 3.51 at Leicester the 1m2f Coors Novice Stakes. By 2,000 Guineas & Lockinge Stakes winner Night Of Thunder out of twice raced Singspiel mare Indian Petal he is a half-brother to four winners, most notably multiple Group winner, including G.1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai and G.1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes in Canada, Old Persian. The pedigree is full of middle-distance names of the past and it wouldn’t surprise me if this one can get off the mark at the first time of asking. Sadly no-one is taking a chance and he's odds-on!! There are two others with entries at Epsom in June lining-up. Magisterial has a penalty to carry having won a novice Stakes at Haydock in October on his second start at two. He has an impressive family tree also, related to a number of winners being by Hoity Toity, but they are all mainly milers. If he gets the trip, he has every chance. Soulcombe didn’t do a lot on debut over 7f at HQ last October but is another well-bred son on Frankel and being by 1m2f G.1 winner Ribbons this sort of trip should suit him.  It a race to watch with the future in mind. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Doncaster

The night meetings are back with us, I do quite enjoy them, and I fancy one later up at Doncaster. At 6.35 we have six two-year-olds making debut in the 5f Download The At The Races App EBF Maiden Stakes and unsurprisingly most are bred to be speedy. Going through the pedigrees I kept coming back to Brave Nation as a son of Sioux Nation who was arguably at his peak as a two-year-old and of course won the G.2 Norfolk & G.1 Phoenix Stakes back in 2017. The dam was a fair sprinter a few years back now as well called Suite, she won on her two-year-old debut. She has had three foals run to date, all sprinters, and two of them are multiple winners. With Grandsires Scat Daddy, who won over the minimum in his career in the States, and Invincible Spirit, the G.1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner, in the pedigree there is plenty of speed on the page. It is a tentative pick but I think the colt is worth a punt at the 9-4 to get his career off to a flying start.  

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