Best bets for the horse racing around the world this weekend

The Coral Summer Festival at Sandown Park is the meeting of the day on Saturday with the Group one 1m2f Coral-Eclipse the main event when we get the first real clash of the generations with Derby winner City Of Troy taking on older horses for the first time. There is also the big seven-furlong race, the G.1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday, as well as a decent supporting card of races to enjoy this weekend.

I don’t know about your neck of the woods but it rained on and off all day at Triple G Towers Friday and it doesn’t surprise me the word soft appears in the going description at many tracks for Saturday; you've got to love the British summer.

Best bets for the horse racing at Sandown Park

I dealt with the Group One 1m2f Coral-Eclipse in a post on Thursday when I placed my bet. I won’t bore you with all the details here, you can always take a look at the post from earlier in the week if you wish, I'll just confirm I am on See The Fire at 66-1 each-way (3 places) this morning the best price around is 33's.

Best bets for the horse racing at Haydock Park

The three-year-old gelding I hold a handful of shares in with the RaceShare team, Treasure Time, goes in the 7f Best Odds Guaranteed At bet365 Handicap at 5.00, the lucky last on the card. I am not wearing my ‘owners glasses’ when I say I believe his current mark of 81 is very workable following his victory at Newmarket last month off a mark of 77 where he and Jungle Mac pulled clear of the rest of the field in a battle over the final furlong - William Haggas described the rise as being on the conservative side and it giving him a chance of winning again. Jungle Mac was second, off a mark of 82, at Chester over seven-furlongs a week later giving the form a solid look. William Haggas and the team at Somerville Lodge had a couple of races in mind immediately after the win at Newmarket with this always the preference; apparently Haggas prefers the outer track here on which they will run. He is bang in the middle of the handicap, this being a 0-90, and stall five of eight isn’t too bad with a nice long straight here at Haydock; as long as he is in a fair position turning in he must have a chance. Tom Marquand takes over in the saddle again, Cieren Fallon who was in the saddle on the last four starts is side-lined having broken his back. No disrespect to Cieren, who was excellent at HQ last month (and comes over as a bloody nice bloke) Marquand getting the leg-up has to be seen as another positive as is the fact the yard is in form. The ground is good, which could possibly be ideal, Fallon seemed to think he wasn't completely at home on the good-firm going at HQ when he won, but rain is forecast all day so that may well change as the day progresses. I am on this morning at 3-1. My initial reaction to the entries was that Love Billy Boy may prove the biggest danger, was ahead of Jungle Mac at HQ back in May, and that remains the case though a mark of 88 will require a career-best from that one to win here. Pedro Valentino may also get involved.

Best bets for the horse racing at Belmont at the Big A meeting

Charlie Appleby has snaffled a number of big prizes across the pond in recent years and is chasing a couple more on Saturday evening at the Belmont at the Big A meeting at Aqueduct racetrack, New York. It looks very significant that William Buick has jumped on a plane to take the rides. Appleby has established an 18-strong satellite stable at Godolphin’s historic Greentree barn in Saratoga and has some big plans for his string reading an interview he did with Thoroughbred Racing Commentary recently. 

The Grade One 1m1½f Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at 8.08 our time sees Legend Of Time line-up for the yard of Charlie Appleby. Following three wins at Meydan earlier in the year the three-year-old son of Sea The Star was fifth at Churchill Downs on his American debut back in early May before winning the 1m1f G.2 Pennine Ridge Stakes here in late May. Charlie Appleby said speaking on the Godolphin website “Legend Of Time has trained well since the Pennine Ridge, which is generally a good trial for the Belmont Derby. He is reopposing some of the same horses and, on the back of that win, you would be confident that he is the one they have to beat. Stepping up in trip another half a furlong will suit him as well.” 6-4 is available early and I have that. 

At 9.42 it is the Grade One 1m1½f Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes. Last seen finishing seventh in the 1,000 Guineas Cinderella's Dream has been shipped out to compete in this. She was unbeaten in three starts before her run at HQ, including taking the Listed Jumeirah 1000 Guineas at Meydan in March and if she takes to racing in the States could pick-up plenty of decent pots in the coming months. Charlie Appleby told the Godolphin website “Cinderella’s Dream is having her first start in America, but her preparation has gone well and she has adapted nicely to training over there. Her pedigree and run style suggest that the step up in trip should suit, and while it looks another competitive field, she does not look out of place.” I am on at the 7-2. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Deauville Sunday

On Sunday, out in France, the Group One 7f Prix Jean Prat at Deauville is the race of the day due off at 3.07. Iberian jumped off the page at me earlier in the week. I tipped him as a speculative each-way punt in the 2,000 Guineas where he went well for a while before weakening in the latter stages. He beat Treasure Time at Newbury on debut last year before running well several times at two not least when winning the G.2 7f Betfred Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on soft, Rossallion third, and finishing a perhaps unlucky in running second in the 7f G.2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood good-soft behind Haatem. The trip seems ideal and you would think the the going out in France, described as soft on Saturday, will suit also; James Doyle takes over in the saddle with Tom Marquand who has ridden him the last three times staying in the UK to ride at Chelmsford City. I think the Charlie Hills trained son of Lope De Vega, the French 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner can grab a well-deserved first win at the top-level. I have some of the 9-1. Romantic Style is in France again for Charlie Appleby having won the G.3 7f Prix Imprudence at Deauville on heavy in April before finishing fourth in the mile G.1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp on soft in May, perhaps not quite seeing out the trip. She gets the 3lb filly allowance and is a threat to all here. Kikkuli is another raider that has a chance, third behind Haatem in the G.3 7f Jersey Stakes last time. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Chelmsford City Sunday

I mentioned above that Yom Marquand isn't in France to ride Iberian and it appears, unless it's a change of heart by the owners, that he has stayed in the UK to ride Pinafore in the 7f Listed  bet365 Queen Charlotte Fillies' Stakes at Chelmsford City for boss William Haggas due off at 3.15. The grey filly appeared to appreciate the step-up to seven-furlongs at Musselburgh last time when second and I think it is interesting that Marquand is back in the saddle for this, hasn't ridden her since September last year. She won on her only start on Polytrack as a two-year-old and she is the sole runner for the team at Somerville Lodge all day which makes the fact the stable jockey rides even more interesting; I appreciate Cieren Fallon is out of action. She's worth a look in the market and I will grab the best price I can Sunday morning. 

Be lucky