Best bets for the horse racing this weekend in the UK and France

Haydock is the main meeting here in the UK Saturday with the Group One Sprint Cup the race of the day. I have a few punts planned for the weekend and I am not just looking at Haydock.

Godolphin owned five-year-old Best Solution goes at Kempton in the 1m4f Group Three September Stakes due off at 2.05 on the Polytrack. He is the best horse in the race by some way but there are two slight concerns in that he has never run on the surface and he hasn’t been seen since finishing eighth in the Melbourne Cup last November having won the G.1 Caulfield Cup prior to that in the land down under. He should be up the pointed end from the off which is no bad thing here and anywhere near peak fitness he wins hard held. I have taken a bit of the 9-4 with Paddy Power early on Friday as I would expect Saeed bin Suroor to have him match fit.

My second punt of the weekend will be in the 2.25 Group Three Bet In Play On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile at Haydock. I think this comes down to Sharja Bridge dropping into calmer waters and the lightly raced improver Miss O Connor. Both have form on soft going but you can’t help but notice all three runs, and of course wins, of Miss O Connor have been with give underfoot. She, of course, won the Listed Dick Hern Stakes over track and trip last month on heavy staying on well. The unbeaten 4yo filly gets 3lb from Sharja Bridge in the race conditions and I think she can improve passed her rivals here. I have taken the 7-2 (missed 4’s with Ladbrokes) that was available on Friday morning.

The £300,000 Group One Sprint Cup is the main event over 6f due off at 4.10. A stat mentioned a lot in the build-up was the fact four of the past five renewals have been won by three-year-olds; that said last year’s winner, on heavy ground, The Tin Man busted that run being six at the time and he will defend his crown for James Fanshawe. A lot has been made of the rivalry Ten Sovereigns and Advertise in the build-up and what happens, Advertise scopes badly and is a non-runner and, as widely expected, the O’Brien horse won’t line-up either with the rain about.  There has been some money for the Charlie Hills trained Khaadem and he will; be favourite now but that colt was disappointing on his only previous try at the top level when seventh in the G.1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, 10 lengths adrift of Advertise. He could improve, he equally might not. The three-year-old that caught my eye was Hello Youmzain. No slouch himself he is the one of the 3yo’s that will most appreciate the rain that has been around with James Doyle booked to ride he jumped off the page at me as an each-way punt and I have a bit of the 10-1 that was about before the withdrawals.

I have tipped Cantiniere twice recently including when winning last time in first-time cheekpieces at Lingfield over 1m2f. She steps-up to 1m4f for the 7.30 Susan Box Memorial Handicap at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening and if she stays, should on breeding, she will go close. Cheekpieces remain on and Gabriele Malune takes off 3lb. Grab the best price best odds guaranteed you can when they chalk-up.

Sunday will be a busy day at Triple GTowers – no rest for the wicked – as I am going all European again after a nice Sunday win at Baden-Baden last weekend in Germany with Ghaiyyath winning in some style.

France is the place to be this Sunday, namely Longchamp, where there have a nice card headed by the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, one of Europe's biggest mile races. All the three-year-old challengers basically have questions to answer in one shape or form. Phoenix Of Spain won the Irish Guineas but has done nothing since and has it all to prove for me. Four-year-old Romanised, Shaman and Line Of Duty were the 1,2,3 in the G.1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois, the 3yo’s got 6lb then and get just 4lb in this so in theory Romanised is 2lb better off having won leaving those two with something to find. Romanised best form has been on quicker ground though and it is good-soft as I write. That brings me to Circus Maximus dropping back in trip. He does have form on softer going and this would appear to be the colts best trip. The weight-for-age is just about in his favour and at 4-1 he is a tentative pick.

Be lucky