Best bets for the horse racing this weekend
Bundles on this weekend here in the UK, out in Ireland, France and across the pond in the United States. Deauville has a big meeting on Sunday with the 6f Darley G.1 Prix Morny and G.1 1m2f Darley Prix Jean Romanet but at this stage I am not betting in either race. I am concentrating my efforts here in good old Blighty this weekend and have five that should be backed.
Best bet for the horse racing at Sandown Saturday
Kings Guard runs at Sandown in the 7f Betway Nursery at 1.30. His form reads, 2, 2, 4 and he was somewhat disappointing last time, tipped on here annoyingly, never really settling early from a wide draw and running on strongly all too late. A mark of 77 on his Nursery debut is a very workable one in my opinion if he settles better on Saturday and likely front-runner Implore should give Jack Mitchell something to aim at turning for home. I am prepared to take a chance on him proving too strong in the closing stages at the 11-2 overnight.
Best bets for the Yorkshire Ebor Festival – Day Four
The going is good-good to firm in places as I write on Friday though showers are forecast for most of the day.
I put up Real World for the Group Three MansionBet Rose Of Lancaster Stakes earlier this month in the hope the rain would stay away from Haydock, it didn’t and he was taken out; at least I got my cash back. He has been re-routed here for the Group Three 1m1f Sky Bet And Symphony Group Strensall Stakes that gets the card underway at 1.50. He is top-rated and has been progressing at a rate of knots since returning to the UK from the Dubai Carnival, he should be able to win if he runs as he did at Newbury last time and if he improves again will win hard held. I have the 11-8 which is short enough but I wouldn’t offer you 2’s. I am again crossing my fingers they don’t get too much of the wet stuff! Under the race conditions he gets weight from My Oberon and Lord Glitters meaning three-year-old El Drama may prove the biggest danger getting all the allowances having been tried in a couple of G.1’s earlier this season.
Space Blues has been very well backed for the Group Two 7f Sky Bet City Of York Stakes at 3.00 after missing the Hungerford to come here and I took 7-4 on Tuesday, missed some bigger prices that were about. This trip on decent ground is his game and I have to be on the Dirty Dozen member. I know I am biased but I thought he was perhaps slightly unlucky when fourth in the G.2 Lennox Stakes at Goodwood last time from a wide draw, not getting the breaks in running and on ground softer than ideal. Compensation awaits as I think he should have no problem beating the supplemented Primo Bacio despite having to give her weight and the rest are running for place money only surely.
At 3.35 we have the 1m6f Sky Bet Ebor Handicap which is a big old betting heat for many and the ante-post markets have been busy in the build-up. Live Your Dream was backed ante-post without even being guaranteed to get in the final field of twenty-two; as of Tuesday, the 7-1 favourite was twenty-sixth in the list needing five to come out of the race to make the final field of twenty-two; A few did and he was the first reserve for Saturday's showpiece but the 1pm Friday reserves deadline passed without any of the remaining twenty-two horses above him in the running order being withdrawn. A lesson learnt for many in regards to handicap ante-post betting – be sure you’ll get a run for your money! J P Murtagh doesn’t send horses over the Irish Sea just for a day out and had just the two entries at the Ebor Festival in total, both as it happens in this, Mirann and Sonnyboyliston. Last year's winner Fujaira Prince bids to become the second horse to win two running's of the race. Third in the G.3 John Smith's Silver Cup Stakes over the track and just last month he has a chance but Sonnyboyliston, sixth in the Silver Cup, gets 6lb off him here ans a chance to reverse the form. Roberto Escobarr was fourth in that race and gets a further pound in the weights on Saturday and could run a big race as well. Ismail Mohammed intended to run Melbourne Cup hope Away He Goes in the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on Sunday, but he comes here now due to the better ground at York. Global Storm always gives his running but a mark of 104 now looks high enough. Hamish heads the market now but trainer William Haggas has stated he will not allow him to run if the rain forecast for Saturday afternoon does not cause a significant easing of ground. How gutted would you be if you were on Live Your Dream then! It’s a minefield as far as I am concerned and I aint got involved and I aint going to.
At 4.10 we have the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes over 5f with a few potentially nice one's lining-up. I quite like the look of the least experienced runner in the field Ballet Steps. She won on debut by a neck at Beverley, a pretty testing five being on he rise throughout, and if you haven’t seen the race take a look at the replay. She was behind a wall of horse, going well, before being switched out and started to make headway just over 1f out, she ran on very strongly to get up in the shadow of the post. With a clearer run here, she could power clear in the final yards. Daniel Tudhope appears to have chosen Attagirl (I assume he had the pick, was on the selection when she won) but that doesn’t bother me and Kieran Shoemark is no bad sub and rides plenty for Kevin Ryan and the owners Clipper Logistics. Get on at 8-1.
Best bet for the horse racing at Sandown Sunday
The opener at Sandown is the 7f Sky Bet Sunday Series Newcomers' EBF Maiden Stakes at 3.55. Charlie Appleby sends King Of Conquest to make debut and the colt is well worth a look. By high-class juvenile and French 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Lope De Vega out of Listed winner Moi Meme herself by unbeaten champion two-year-old Teofilo out of top-class broodmare and Group Three winner Di Moi Oui (won her sole start at two) his breeding screams two-year-old winner. I will be shopping about early Sunday for the best price I can get. As part of the Sunday Series it will be live on ITV4.
Be lucky