Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 21st September 2024

Since Porta Fortuna and Economics won last Saturday I have been in what can only be described as a slump. It was a very busy weekend admittedly, with many more bets than I would normally place, but the wheels came off after the two winners at the Irish Champions Festival it has to be said. Thus far this week I have had just one bet, Al Misbar on Tuesday with that colt finishing third. It was always likely to be a quiet weekend with a lot of the horse racing fairly average stuff but I do have a couple of fancies that will hopefully see me back to winning ways.

Best bet for the horse racing at Newmarket

Dubawi filly Pearl Of Hope makes debut for the Moulton Paddocks team in the mile Turners British EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes at 1.35. Any regular reader will know my habit of backing Charlie Appleby trained two-year-olds on debut at HQ and I will be backing this one. She is out of Antiquities making her a half-sister to five winners including G.1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner at two and G.1 French 2,000 Guineas winner at three Victor Ludorum. It’s a family with plenty of winners in it including a couple of generations back G.1 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry. It would be no surprise if this one was more than capable of winning on debut and I have some of the 100-30 early. Dougie Costello rides with William Buick at Newbury.

Best bet for the horse racing at Newbury

The Group Two 6f Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at 3.15 is the race of the day Saturday. Powerful Glory was an impressive winner on debut at Pontefract over the six-furlongs. Third that day won a 6f Novice Stakes at Kempton recently but none of the others from the race have done much since suggesting he didn’t have to be that good to win despite doing it easily enough. Defence Minister is two from two but is another that it is hard to gauge what he has actually beaten thus far and the opposition today looks an awful lot stronger. Shadow Of Light trained by Charlie Appleby was a cosy winner of 6f maiden at Yarmouth on debut in July, form working out with four subsequent winners behind that day, and then followed up over the same trip at Newmarket the following month. Last seen finishing a close second in 6f G.2 Gimcrack Stakes at York behind Cool Hoof Luke in August; the re-opposing Symbol of Strength third. I tipped Symbol Of Strength when he won at Kempton earlier this month, following his run in the Gimcrack, in the 6f G.3 Sirenia Stakes where he showed a nice attitude to get up in the finish. I think the last two named may be the two to concentrate on here. The yard of Charlie Appleby hasn’t hit the sort of strike-rate percentages they have achieved in recent years this season but their string has still been in decent enough form and they appear to have a good one in the shape of chestnut colt Shadow Of Light. By French 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Lope De Vega and out of Winters Moon he is a half-brother to top-class two-year-old Earthlight, won the G.1 Prix Morny and Middle Park, and the family of Winters Moon has produced a lot of winners down the years. He is entered in the G.1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at HQ next week, obviously unlikely to run there, and these slightly calmer waters can see him gain a first Group success before you would expect a title at G.1 company in the spring next season. I am on at 15-8.

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