Moët & Chandon July Festival Newmarket Day Three Best Bets & The Irish Oaks

The weekend is here and there are some big races to enjoy. It is day three of the Moët & Chandon July Festival at HQ Newmarket and it’s Darley July Cup day as the sprinters take centre stage.

The two-year-old colts line-up for the Group Two Superlative Stakes at 4.00. It is a race to watch rather than punt in for me.

As mentioned above the Group One July Cup Stakes at 4.35 is the main event. Limato won last year and is back for more having finished third at Ascot and will face Royal Ascot conqueror from the G.1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes The Tin Man again with second from that race Tasleet also here. As good as they all are G.1 Commonwealth Cup winner Caravaggio looks a sprinter of real class potentially and with the weight-for-age advantage at this time of the year of 6lb the Ballydoyle speedster looks the one to be on. The world and their wife seem to agree and the best price you can get is 11-10 but I wouldn’t want to lay 2-1!

Epsom Oaks heroine Enable remains on course to bid for a Classic double in the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh at 5.55. John Gosden's filly ran a blinder on the Surrey Downs, seeing off Aidan O'Brien's Rhododendron by five lengths hence she is long odds-on. Talking earlier this week Gosden said: "Enable is in good form. We have freshened her up after the Oaks at Epsom and she is building up nicely for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. I've been happy enough with her and the plan always was to go to the Curragh after she won at Epsom. She hasn't been over-raced. She was impressive at Chester and Epsom and she won a two-year-old race well towards the backend. We are hopeful that she is very much going in the right direction."

Earlier on the card at 5.20 they is a bet to be had as Sir Mark Prescott has sent Marsha over for the Group Two Sapphire Stakes. She was no match for Lady Aurelia at the Royal meeting in the G.1 King’s Stand but is more than capable of winning this at 5-4. She has beaten main danger Washington DC in the G.3 Palace House Stakes back in May and the G.1 Prix de l'Abbaye last October. This vary fair wide track, five furlongs run on the straight, with it’s uphill three furlong home straight should suit her style of running coming late to pick them off.

Neither are exactly generous prices so I would not put you off doing the double; you could chuck in Enable for the treble I suppose…………………………

Be lucky