Best bets for the horse racing Sunday 15th September 2024

It is Sunday Funday at Doncaster as the St Leger Festival draws to a close. They have just the one pattern race on the card, the Group Three 7f Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies' Stakes. Irish Champions Weekend moves to the Curragh and out in France we have the Arc trials. I had a fair day here in the UK and Ireland yesterday before the wheels came off in Canada. It’s another day of international interest and I have five fancies on the afternoon, three on Ireland and two in France. 

Best bets for the horse racing at the Curragh Irish Champions Weekend

We are at the Curragh on Sunday for day two of the Irish Champions Festival where they have four Group One races on their card. The first of the Pattern races in the Group Two Moyglare ''Jewels'' Blandford Stakes at 2.25 which looks a very competitive affair and I have left it alone. The 7f Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at 3.00 should see Bedtime Story gain a first top-level victory. Spectacular 9½ lengths winner of the Listed Chesham at Royal Ascot she then won the G.3 7f Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes by 3½ lengths. She wasn’t so visibly impressive winning the G.2 Debutante Stakes over track and trip last time but remained unbeaten. She is expected to take this and I have the 5-6.

I tipped  Bucanero Fuerte last weekend in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last weekend where he was sixth. He'd been off track for four-months and that run should have put him cherry ripe for the Group One 5f  Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes at 3.35. As I said last week you can certainly argue he was the best juvenile out of all the three-year-olds lining-up; won the G.2 6f Railway Stakes, the G.1 6f Phoenix Stakes, with subsequent now four-time G.1 winner Porta Fortuna four-lengths behind, and was a weakening third in the 7f G.1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes. He took the G.3 Lacken Stakes at Naas on his three-year-old seasonal debut giving 3lb and a beating to Givemethebeatboys, but then missed the G.1 6f Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot due to signs of travel sickness. Three of his four career wins have come here and he is worth another investment at the 8-1. Bradsell and Believing are feared. 

The 7f Group One Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes will have an effect on the market for the 2,000 Guineas, but which one is the potential Classic winner. Henri Matisse is three from three including taking the G.2  Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish European Breeders Fund Futurity Stakes over track and trip last time. It's no surprise he is a shade odds-on. Aomori City has been sent over from Moulton Paddocks and I think it is significant Charlie Appleby is prepared to take on the Ballydoyle colt in his own back yard. He clearly enjoyed stepping up to this distance when winning the G.2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in July with with the form of the race boosted recently by the third-placed colt, Coll Hoof Luke, winning the G.2 Gimcrack Stakes since. He had previously finished third to subsequent Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket in the G.2 July Stakes at Newmarket over six looking a little once paced over shorter on softer ground.  Charlie Appleby said of him “Aomori City brings a nice profile into this and has earned his chance at this level on the back of his Vintage Stakes win. We felt there was marked improvement with the step up to seven furlongs at Goodwood and he deserves to be respected.” Appleby knows what is required to win this and William Buick is back from Canada to ride. I am on at 4-1. 

The main event on Sunday’s Curragh card is the Comer Group International Irish St Leger at 4.45, in which Ballydoyle’s star stayer Kyprios heads the market at around 8-15. The six-year-old was a beaten odds-on favourite in last year’s renewal, but has proved himself as as good as ever this year winning each of his four starts this season, including the G.1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the G.1 Goodwood Cup over the summer. Giavellotto might give him something to think about but Kyprios should win, I can't be playing at the price though that is only likely to get shorter. 

Best bets for the horse racing at Longhamp

The 1m4f Group One Qatar Prix Vermeille looks a really good race with Bluestocking and Opera Singer facing-off. If Opera Singer stays the trip, and the way they tend to race in France should help, she could take this. She gets the weight-for-age from Bluestocking and arrives off the back of her victory at Goodwood in the 1m2f G.1 Qatar Nassau Stakes where she made every yard, Sparkling Plenty third. Christophe Soumillon knows how to ride this track so is an able substitute for Ryan Moore in the saddle and at 4-1 early I have taken a chance she see's out the trip.  Bluestocking has to be feared as she does stay whilst Sparkling Plenty looks the best chance for the home team though she also has to prove she gets the trip. Emily Upjohn could pick-up some decent prize-money if any of the younger horses fail to run their race. 

I have backed Look De Vega at 3-1 ante-post for the Group One 1m4f Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October so fully expect the unbeaten colt to take the Group Two Prix Niel at 3.40. The form of his G.1 1m2f Qatar Prix du Jockey Club victory looks pretty solid with Sosie who was third that day subsequently winning the 1m4f G.1 Grand Prix de Paris Stakes and the likes of Ghostwriter, fourth at Chantilly, as well as Mondon Man, Sunway, Diego Velazquez and Ramadan all running well in Group company since the race at Chantilly. Look De Vega certainly didn’t appear to be stopping over the mile-and-a-quarter and looked to my eyes as if there was a fair bit left in the tank. I thought he'd be odds-on here so have taken the 13-8 happily. Sosie looks the danger is the jolly isn't as good as I think he is. Ambiente Friendly looks up against it on soft going that isn't likely to suit; only raced on it once when a well-beaten third in the G.3 Autumn Stakes as a two-year-old. 

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