Today’s best bets, by Chris Cook
Greg Wood will be along in a few hours’ time with some analysis of tonight’s Breeders’ Cup races and what he has to say will be worth reading, as he’s spent almost the whole week picking up information trackside at Santa Anita (UPDATE: Greg’s tips for Friday night’s action are here). But I’ll just start today’s blog by saying that I quite like Intricately (10.50pm) at 13-2 in the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf.
Roly Poly was my idea of the most likely winner until the draw came out. She’s in stall 13, where 14 is the widest. Sheesh. Ryan Moore can still win from there, of course, but I’m not betting on it because there’s not much fun in knowing you’ve lost 11 seconds into a horse race.
Intricately has the best claims of the rest, plus a reasonable draw in seven. There’s a pleasing upward curve to her form and you’d have to like the way she battled to land the Moyglare last time.
Nor is there any arguing with the quality of that form; the second and third later dominated the Fillies’ Mile, while the sixth won the Cheveley Park. Intricately’s dam is a Galileo half-sister to Rock Of Gibraltar, so the quality’s all there in her pedigree.
The main doubt is how she’ll cope with such a tight track but that applies to nearly every runner we send over there and it’s more than reflected in the odds. And of course her jockey, Donnacha O’Brien, is only 18 and short of experience but I have found there’s little to be gained from betting against the various members of that family. His brother Joseph is the trainer. Good luck to these two young men who have such a big chance tonight.
The three cards of jump racing in this country don’t make a huge amount of appeal but there’s some interesting all-weather action at Newcastle, where Sunglider (3.50) is a fair bet at 4-1 in the opening handicap. This three-year-old is bred to be a lot better than he has so far shown and David O’Meara, who got him off Dermot Weld about a year ago, seems to have been trying a few different things with him.
There are a couple of all-weather winners in the family, so today’s first jaunt in that sphere could be the day to catch him, from a mark 10lb below the one he started from, with cheekpieces on for the first time. Graham Gibbons rides for the first time and O’Meara makes good use of that talented jockey.
Sunglider stayed on well from a mile back at Catterick last time, giving the impression that he might be ready to win under more favourable conditions. In a race which is short on compelling alternatives, he gets a chance here.
Enjoy Life (7.20) has more obvious claims and is therefore 2-1 but I can’t find fault with this ex-Godolphin filly who is ending the year strongly for Kevin Ryan and ought to be able to defy a penalty. Lewis Edmunds, a promising 7lb claimer, is booked.
