Best bets for the horse racing this weekend in the UK, America and Canada

There are bets to be had this weekend, not just here in the UK but also out in North America with quite the raiding party crossing the pond after some big international prizes in the U.S.A. and Canada. 

Triple G has gone International and I am getting involved in horse racing meetings across the globe this weekend.  

As it happens all bar one of the bets run in the evening so you have plenty of time to do what you got to do on a Saturday before settling into your favourite armchair tuning into Sky Racing and watching a few winners from across the globe.

Best bets for the horse racing at Newbury  

It’s a fair card at Newbury and I will be having an afternoon bet for settling in for the action from across the pond. Race of the day here is the 6f Group Two 6f Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at 4.00. Dhabab heads the market and his third in the 7f G.2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket last time reads pretty well now the winner Native Trail (my very long-range punt for the 2022 2,000 Guineas) having gone out to Ireland and trounced Points Lonsdale in the G.1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes last weekend. The way he ran at HQ suggesting a drop back to six furlongs won’t hurt. He was perhaps unlucky in the 6f G.2 Coventry Stakes at Ascot fidning some trouble in running, finished sixth, and even though the form of that race is pretty weak he would have placed-up at least with a clear run. I am on at 2-1.  Gubbass is a danger but might have been flattered a little in the G.1 Prix Morny when fifth.  

Best bet for the horse racing at Wolverhampton  

Military Crown has had a number of entries over the last fortnight or so without taking any up. He finally makes debut for Charlie Appleby in the 1m½f Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 EBF Novice Stakes at 8.00. He is a colt by multiple G.1 winner Postponed out of Najoum (Giant's Causeway) who won two of her four career starts and as such he is a half-brother to three that have run to date, including G.1 winner Lord North. Royston Ffrench rides and this one is strongly fancied to get his career off to a winning start. I have the 7-4.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Belmont Park America  

It’s the 28-day Fall Meet at Belmont Park out in the States with the meeting stretching from 16th September to 31st October. It hosts some major races and they aint messing about with a couple of big races on day one that form the last legs of the Turf Triple Series; as the marketing guys have it to showcase the best three-year-old turf runners in the country. Hopefully the raiding party will be the ones showcasing their talents.  

The $1 million Jockey Club Derby was first run in 2019 and is the concluding leg of what the Yanks like to call the Turf Trinity series for the colts that is contested at distances matching the Dirt Triple Crown races. Like the Belmont Stakes, its dirt-track counterpart at the Elmont, New York racecourse, the Jockey Club Derby is run over 1m4f. The winner will get an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Post time is 10.45 in the UK. Gelded in the spring Yibir has subsequently won the G.3 Bahrain Trophy at HQ and the G.2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, was sixth in the G.3 Gordon Stakes in-between. Charlie Appleby told the Godolphin website “Yibir has settled in well since travelling over and looks to have the best form over a mile and a half going into the race. Belmont is a big galloping track, which should suit Yibir, and a repeat of his York run should make him the one to beat.” Talking on www.nyra.com travelling assistant Chris Connett said earlier this week “We’ve always thought he had that type of talent in him. He’s just a bit of a character, hence why he’s been gelded. He has phenomenal talent and when things fall right for him, he can be any kind of horse. In the run at Goodwood things just didn’t go right. He got quite headstrong and he took off a little bit and did things completely the wrong way around. In the Voltigeur, James (Doyle) just was able to get him switched off and he brought himself into the race and produced a lovely effort. I think the plan will be to get cover early and carry himself into the race and make one run. It’s the kind of track that should suit him. It’s one of the biggest galloping tracks in North America and it will suit the big horse that he is.” Jamie Spencer will be doing the steering and we all know how he loves to get them covered-up and come late so hopefully things will go to plan. Get on at 9-4. Bolshoi Ballet will line-up after clocking up a few air miles – he was in France last weekend but didn’t run. The colt won the 1m2f G.1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes after his what must have been considered disappointing run at Epsom in the Derby. He was beaten favourite again last time though in the G.1 1m1½f Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes and is perhaps one not to trust, he clearly has talent but does he always put it all in? Stall 8 aint exactly ideal either. Tokyo Gold was second to Bolshoi Ballet in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes and is the best hope for the home team.  

The fillies go earlier on the card for the Jockey Club Oaks which was also first run in 2019 and is the last leg of the Fillies Turf Triple Series referred to as the Turf Tiara – love that name! It is run over the slightly shorter trip of 1m3f. Post time is 10.14pm here in the UK. Charlie Appleby trained Creative Flair and Flaxman Stable's Harajuku are the invaders from across the pond taking on five American-based contenders. Third in the G.3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes when last seen reportedly all has been going well with Creative Flair since. Appleby assistant Chris Connett told www.nyra.com “The race (Saratoga Oaks) didn't ever really set up for her. She jumped a little slowly and got a little bit of a knock. The team wanted her to sit a bit closer to the pace than she ended up being and it just didn't pan out. She’s had a nice break and seems fresh and well and ready to run a big race for us....... She's travelled well and I’m really happy with her. All systems go for Saturday. I think this course will help any of the European horses in the race that are used to a slightly more galloping type track. Hopefully, with a longer straight and ideally sitting a little closer, it should really help.” Get on at 7-2. The Chad Brown trained Higher Truth is feared.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Woodbine Canada

There is a decent card in The Great White North and I am getting involved there as well and the race sits nicely between the two bets at Belmont. The Grade One Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine due off at 10.35pm our time has been targeted by a number of European trainers in recent years. Run these days over a mile-and-a-half on turf it started life as 1m½f race on Dirt back in the 30’s at Long Branch racetrack and has had a number of homes and been run over several different distances in its history. This year only two raiders have travelled and most notably Charlie Appleby is sending Walton Street. The seven-year-old won a couple of races at the Dubai Carnival before finishing his Dubai campaign with a fourth-place finish in the G.1 Dubai Sheema Classic. He returned to action in August and was third in the G.1 Longines 131st Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in Germany behind the useful filly Alpinista. Frankie Dettori has made the trip to ride suggesting the gelding must be fancied. Get on at 7-4. Trainer Charlie Appleby said earlier this week “Walton Street is in great form. We were pleased with his run out in Germany following a successful Dubai campaign. I feel he ticks a lot of boxes and looks a leading contender.” Desert Encounter, as it happens the other to travel across the pond, looks the danger.  

Best bets for the horse racing at Woodbine Canada on Sunday

No rest for the wicked as they say as on Sunday Charlie Appleby has a couple of two-year-olds in Wild Beauty and Albahr due to run in the Grade One Natalma Stakes (10.06pm) and Grade One Summer Stakes (10.39pm) respectively. I have backed both before and will be having a look at what prices are about on Sunday. Wild Beauty is a Frankel filly that has looked above average and Albahr a gelding that has won three of his four starts to date. Dettori rides the pair.  Talking to www.godolphin.com  Charlie Appleby said “We have been delighted with Wild Beauty going into this race. She has some rock solid European form and I feel that the step up to a mile is going to play to her strengths.”  “Albahr brings some good experience into the Summer Stakes, having won his last three starts including a battling display at Salisbury. He gets a mile well and I think the style of racing out in Canada is going to suit.”

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