Best bets for the horse racing this weekend
The York Ebor Festival draws to a close on Saturday, but there’s still plenty to get involved with there is you wish. It’s a busy weekend as Sandown hosts a decent card Saturday, Deauville has more top-class action Saturday and Sunday plus Saratoga and Del Mar both have Grade One races out in the States! I have tried to be selective as it is another weekend where you could have fifteen bets running if you weren’t.
Best bet for the horse racing at Sandown Park
The seven-furlong Group Three Solario Stakes is due off at 2.40 and Silver Knott is the one to be on here with James Doyle riding. The Charlie Appleby-trained colt stayed on to finish fourth behind three subsequent winners, including G3 Acomb Stakes scorer Chaldean, on his debut in a Newbury novice race before he made all for a comfortable two-length win at Kempton last time. His trainer said earlier this week “The form of Silver Knott’s first run at Newbury has worked out very well and he progressed from that to go and win at Kempton. He gained some more valuable experience on his second start, which it looked like he needed, and his work has been good since. He looks ready to step up to this level so we can see where we are for the autumn.” I took 3-1 on Friday evening. It looks a fair race with Desert Hero and Defence Of Fort both debut winners who may have plenty to offer as they develop.
Best bet for the Yorkshire Ebor Festival – Day Four
The Group Three Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes over a mile is the opener. I am not sure I can back Sonny Liston again, a member of the Dirty Dozen for the season he just hasn’t progressed as hoped for and this looks a pretty warm Group Three. I could have tipped several in the handicaps but have left them all alone as none stood out as a bet.
Dirty Dozen member Sacred is favourite for the 7f Group Two Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at 3.00 and she should be backed, I took 7-2 overnight as looked to be shortening. She hasn’t won yet this term but her to fifth place finishes are better than the bare facts suggest and I still think she might have won the Lennox Stakes with a clear run. Winner of the Lennox Sandrine is feared along with Al Suhail who I have tipped before but he needs to bounce back from a poor effort in Meydan in March and has to give the selection 3lb. Art Power is another I have tipped in the past, was a Dirty Dozen member in 2020, But the five-year-old aint been seen in ten months and this looks a big ask up from six furlongs after that length of a break.
Best bet for the horse racing at Deauville
I fancy one in France in the shape of Never Ending Story for Aidan O’Brien in the 7f Group Two Prix du Calvados due off at 3.25 our time. She is two from three, both wins over this trip, including the G.3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown last time. By Dubawi out of Grade One 1m2f winner Athena she has plenty of big entries, there's plenty of star Sire names on her page, and the family itself is a very good one - Athena was out of Cherry Hinton, who was out of Urban Sea so it's almost Thoroughbred royalty! Get on at the 11-8 - this filly could be going right to the top.
Best bet for the horse racing from Saratoga
With The Moonlight is looking to plunder another nice prize across the pond in Saratoga in the Group Two Lake Placid Stakes at 9.26. I have tipped her twice out in the States already this season, an unlucky second and then when winning last time in the Saratoga Oaks, and she can take this prize. Luis Saez takes over in the saddle with William Buick staying in the UK this weekend. Grab the best price you can when they chalk-up.
Best bet for the horse racing at Deauville Sunday
At 1.33 across the Channel the Group One 6f Darley Prix Morny is one of the big races on their card – surprisingly all the runners are from the UK or Ireland. Persian Force finished ahead of Blackbeard in the Coventry at Ascot but there weren’t much between them that day, or on paper for that matter with both arriving with solid form in the book. Blackbeard looked to have really got the hang of things winning the G.2 Prix Robert Papin last time at Chantilly and is fancied to win this – just. Get the best price you can when the chalk-up in the morning.
The other big race is at 2.50 the Group One 1m2f Darley Prix Jean Romanet. A little unusually these days we have an Aussie horse coming to Europe with Verry Elleegant making debut for Francis-Henri Graffard. The seven-year-old will be jolly and it will be interesting to see how he goes.
Be lucky