Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 31st August 2024

It isn’t the greatest weekend of action ahead of us but we may get to see a star of the future at Sandown Park with the Group Three Sky Bet Solario Stakes on their card. I have four fancies on the day three at Sandown and one across the pond at Saratoga this evening. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Sandown Park

The mile Group Three  Sky Bet Atalanta Stakes for the fillies and mare at 2.25 looks to be at the mercy of Tamfana. The three-year-old is top rated bringing some pretty decent G.1 form to the table a she does; strong finishing fourth in the 1,000 Guineas, losing out late on when third in the G.1 mile-and-a-quarter Prix de Diane Longines and then fourth in the G.1 1m4f Grand Prix de Paris, fading late on.  A reproduction of any of those efforts would surely see the David Menuisier trained filly take this. She gets the weigh-for-age from the older fillies and mares and Oisin Murphy is in the saddle. I am on at 5-4. Doha ran well in the 1m2f G.1 Nassau last time out and looks the best of the older generation and potentially the danger to the selection back down in trip and distance.  

The Group Three 7f Sky Bet Solario Stakes is the race of the day at 3.35. John Gosden has saddled the winner of the race on six previous occasions with  Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass (2007) and Kingman (2013) and Too Darn Hot (2018) being probably the best three. Impressive Newmarket maiden winner Field Of Gold is the yards hope this year. Third behind subsequent Listed Stonehenge Stakes winner New Century on debut at Doncaster, the Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman really caught the eye on the July course on his second start, galloping clear of his rivals in the hands of Kieran Shoemark with a couple of subsequent winners behind. Trained by John and Thady Gosden he will try to emulate his sire this afternoon by taking this. “Field Of Gold is in great shape and he will head for the Solario,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager of Juddmonte early this week. “John and Thady both feel he has done very well since he won his maiden and while we did look at the Acomb, I think John just felt this was a better fit to roll into some of the better races in the autumn. We’re heading for Sandown with him and hopefully he will run a good race and that will leave us on track for the autumn.” The grey is fancied to take this before moving up in class in the autumn. I am on at 6-4. 

The 7f Tattersalls 40,000 EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes can go to Rockin The Boat who looked a winner in waiting on debut. A half-sister to several winners she went into my notebook on the 18th when staying on into third on debut at HQ Hollie Doyle doing little more than encouraging really. She could and should come on for experience and the race looks above average, the two that finished in front of her both hold entries in the Group One Fillies' Mile. William Buick is in the saddle this afternoon and I am on at 2-1. Twice second already in her career Flight should set a fair pace and that will suit the selection perfectly as she can track her before taking over late on. It should be a good afternoon for David Menuisier. 

Best bet for the horse racing at Saratoga

I have another fancy out at Saratoga this weekend, and it’s another one trained by Charlie Appleby. Eternal Hope goes in the 1m3f Grade Two Flower Bowl Stakes for fillies and mares at 11.15. She put in a couple of good efforts Stateside last back end winning a G.3 over 1m3f at Belmont Park in September and followed up over 1m1f in a G.2 at the same track a month later, She started this campaign finishing fourth in the G.2 1m4f Glens Falls Stakes here at Saratoga getting rundown late on. Charlie Appleby said this week “Eternal Hope has come forward since the Glens Falls, when she travelled well and just got tired in the final furlong. We probably have War Like Goddess and McKulick to beat, but our filly should be competitive.” Bet365 are 4's early but only they and Betfred have priced-up so I will shop around later.  UPDATE: Paddy Power are standout 7s and I have that.

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