Best bets for the horseracing around the globe Saturday 16th September

It is St Leger day and my thoughts for the final Classic of the season can be found on the Classics page. I fancy a couple of others on the card at Doncaster and two overseas later this evening. 

Best bets for the Betfred St Leger Festival - Day Three

Aside from the last Classic of the season due off at 3.35, see the Classics page for my thoughts, it’s a very good card at Doncaster on Saturday. Rosallan is odds-on for the opener the Group Two 7f Betfred Champagne Stakes at 1.50. The son of Blue Point was backed when making a winning debut at Newbury and followed up in the Listed Pat Eddery at Ascot, the form of which is working out with the second and fifth winning since. I wonder if that race fell into his lap a bit though as he was out the back off a fair pace with several wanting to lead and they finished strung out like the washing. The bare form may flatter him. Iberian won the race the horse I have shares in, Treasure Time, made his debut in at Newbury back in June, so I have had a good look at him and he looks above average. I tipped him at Goodwood when second in the G.2 7f Vintage Stakes staying on behind Haatem. Things didn’t go exactly to plan on the Downs and he may have been an unlucky loser. If there is a chink in the jollys armour it might be the slower ground and likely slower pace in a small field. I am prepared to take the jolly on and took 4-1 this morning.

La Yakel is one of the Dirty Dozen for the season and the gelding runs in the 1m2f PJ Towey Construction Handicap at 4.10. He has only risen 3lb in the ratings this year after finishing second at Ascot over 1m4f beaten just a neck and then fifth over the same track and trip at the Shergar Cup meeting. I am prepared to ignore the last run as the Shergar Cup can throw up all sorts of weird results and it was a mess of a race. I think he can get his first victory of the season here dropping down in trip. I am on at 9-4.

Best bets for horse racing at Woodbine, Canada

Charlie Appleby has sent two out to Woodbine in Canada for their meeting on Saturday and both are of interest as this is a well trodden path for the stable. It is also noted William Buick has made the trip to ride both.

The team at Moulton Paddocks have won the mile Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (Turf) twice before so Dazzling Star has to be taken very seriously in the 10.07. A respectable fourth in the G.3 6f Princess Margaret at Ascot she was perhaps a little too keen there early and a mile round here should be right up her street. “It is a race which we like to target each year, and she has a similar profile to our other fillies who we have run in the past with success” said Charlie Appleby on the Woodbine website. Earlier in the week he said on the Godolphin site  “Dazzling Star broke her maiden nicely and ran respectably on her most recent appearance at Ascot. We are hoping that the step up to a mile is going to suit, which will make her very competitive. It’s a big field and she might lack the experience of some of our previous runners in the race, but a mile on a sound surface should make her a contender.” I have 2-1 this morning. 

Master Of The Seas is one I have tipped several times and the Grade One Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (Turf) at 10.22 looks to be at his mercy to my eyes. Won last year by the stables Modern Games before going on to glory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile the plan appears similar for this colt. He was back to form taking the Fred Cowley MBE Memorial Summer Mile Stakes last time after three months off the track having been rather disappointing in the G.1 Dubai Turf back in March; he is surely too good for this field. I have a bit of the 10-11 early. Talking on the Godolphin website the trainer said of this one Charlie Appleby said “Master Of The Seas shipped out to Canada well and we have been very pleased with him following his win at Ascot. We feel that conditions at Woodbine are there to suit, with him having already proved himself over a mile on a slick track out in Dubai. He looks a big player.”

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