Best bets for the Horse Racing this weekend

It’s another busy weekend of horse racing action here in the UK with Flat and Jumps action galore. It’s another weekend in which you could have a number of bets running and do your brains if not careful.  

As it happens with big races in the United States and across the Channel in France a fair bit of my interest is on foreign soil this weekend. My bets for the next couple of days follow.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Newbury Saturday  

Mile Group One Lockinge Stakes at 3.20 is the race of the day and sees one of the superstars of the current Flat world back in action. Dirty Dozen for 2022 member Baaeed is unbeaten in six starts to date and rated at 125 officially, he is one of the best in Europe if not the world right now and open to improvement yet you would expect. He will face will face eight rivals including Aidan O’Brien’s Mother Earth, the winner of last year’s 1,000 Guineas and Alcohol Free winner of the Coronation Stakes and Sussex Stakes last season. Returning to Turf having had two unsuccessful tries on Dirt over the winter Real World is another with some very good form to his name. The jolly is rightly odds-on but if he falters in anyway, it’s a very good supporting cast and they all have match fitness on their side having run this season already. I can’t have a bet but will be watching as this could be a cracker of a race.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Newmarket Saturday

I have talked already this week of my liking for backing Godolphin debutants at HQ and Charlie Appleby unveils two and Saeed bin Suroor one at this meeting, all in the 3.35 Denbury Homes British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes! The race is a must watch but you can’t have a bet.  

I fancy one in the 3.00 at HQ the 7f Birketts Llp Handicap in the shape of the Andrew Balding trained Shine So Bright. The grey hadn’t won since 2019 before making a winning return to action over this track and trip last month. Rated as high as 115 at his peak he was on a career low mark of 98 for that, up to 102 here, but Harry Davies rides again taking off his 7lb claim and if Balding has got back in love with the game he should be able to take this. I have the 7-2 overnight. Wizard D'amour re-opposes, and is 2lb better off than when second to the selection last month but I Shine So Bright will have too much for that one again today. If Quintillus is in the mood he is feared but the four-year-old is somewhat unreliable and not to be trusted.  

I tipped Princesse D'Or on debut last year over a mile at Kempton last November and in short, she was a disappointment. I did say of her at the time by Frankel out of Fleche D'Or she is related to some good ones being a full-sister to Dhahabi and half-sister to Eastern Belle and Golden Horn to name just three. Foaled in April 2019 she cost 2,000,000 guineas as a yearling and has been brought along slowly. I said she may be one for her three-year-old campaign and she makes her three-year-old debut in the 4.10 1m4f Birketts LLP Next Level Law Fillies' Novice Stakes. It is hoped she has matured over the winter and now running at a distance that should prove ideal she can show just how good she might be. It is a bit of a speculative punt but I am prepared to take a chance especially if I can get the 6-1 that Bet365 have opened up with - can't get on with them but hopefully someone will match or better it.

Best bet for the horse racing at Belmont Park Saturday

Out in the United States of America Yibir goes in the Grade One Man O’War Stakes at Belmont Park due off at 9.46 our time. The four-year-old started this campaign finishing second of fifteen in the G.1 Sheema Classic at the Carnival over 1m4f, beaten a neck just failing to pass the entire field on the run-in. He returned to the UK and finished second again in G.2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket when last seen in April. He has proved he doesn’t mind the tracks across the pond having won out there a couple of times including of course the G.1 Breeders' Cup Turf last year (tipped on here). William Buick has made the trip to ride and the gelding is strongly fancied and IF I can get a price of Evens or better Saturday he will be backed.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Longchamp France Sunday  

No rest for the wicked this weekend with the first of the French Classics at Longchamp on Sunday. At 2.15 it is the Group One Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for the fillies. Ante-post favourite Homeless Songs will not be in France after being removed from the race at Tuesday's forfeit stage, that’s twice now I have nearly backed her and haven’t so it’s a result that I aint done my money but a shame the filly isn’t running. Dermot Weld is now plotting a tilt at the Irish equivalent for his star filly. Aidan O’Brien has only won the one this the once, which is hard to believe, and that was with Rose Gypsy back in 2001! Toy is his sole runner this year, a Galileo filly that got off the mark at the third attempt winning a maiden at Cork last month. She will need to have improved several pounds to win tis surely. Cachet remains on course to become only the second English-French 1,000 Guineas double winner this century and I am still kicking myself for not backing her each-way at Newmarket which was the plan at one point. The one question mark about her chances here for me is going round a bend at Longchamp, her worst performance thus far came here last year in the G.3 Prix D'aumale Stakes. She was fourth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar where she was run down late but her best form is at Newmarket and going straight. She might slip off the front and be gone but I wonder if she might set this up for a closer down the tow-and-a-half furlong straight here. Rosacea appears the best of the home team with a couple of G.3 wins to her name including here over the mile on the Grande Course, that this is run on, in the Prix de la Grotte last month. She came from last to first up the run-in that day and it has to be said it was quite impressive; on paper it was a decent trial. I think she had a bit left int the tank and this race could be run to suit her. I am on at the carpet 3-1 on Friday.  

Straight after at 2.50 the colts are on show for the Group One Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Aidan O’Brien has taken this prize five-times already, in stark contrast to his record in the fillies' race, and of course was successful last year with St Mark’s Basilica. I cant believe he will make it six with The Acropolis. Charlie Appleby can gain his first victory in this race with Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Modern Games. I tipped the colt at the Breeders Cup and he very nearly made it on to the Dirty Dozen list this year as I expect him to win some nice prizes as the season unfolds. It’s good-soft out there at Longchamp as I write on Friday but the forecast is similar to here in the UK, warm and sunny, so they should be racing in good ground which will be fine, I would have been concerned if it came up proper soft out there. I have a bit of the 2-1 that’s about on Friday. The biggest problem Appleby may have is keeping this one, Native Trail and Coroebus apart as the season progresses – he has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal in the three-year-old colt division.  

Be lucky