Wednesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
Two millimetres of water applied overnight has maintained the going as good-to-firm on the Knavesmire, where the Ebor meeting will open on Wednesday afternoon with a six-race card featuring what is, by general consent, the race of the season so far for the Juddmonte International Stakes. The renewal won by Australia two years ago was officially the best race anywhere all year, and Wednesday’s may well be vying for the same honour when the numbers are crunched in January.
The race has attracted an unusually large field too, with a dozen runners due to go to post even in the absence of My Dream Boat, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner at Royal Ascot. But it is the depth of the field that matters more than the size, and five of the 12 are Group One winners already, including Dariyan, who took the Prix Ganay at Chantillly just three months ago but can be backed at 16-1. The horses looking for a breakthrough at this level include Mutakayyef, who is rated just 6lb below Postponed, the favourite, and Wings Of Desire, whose win over the course and distance in the Group Two Dante Stakes in May was completed in a fast time.
The market has settled on Postponed, Highland Reel and Hawkbill (3.40) as the three main contenders at single-figure prices, and the latter makes plenty of appeal at around 5-1 to continue his rapid rise through the ranks. His win in the Eclipse Stakes leaves no doubts about his ability at this ten-furlong trip, a doubt which nags when it comes to Postponed, whose very best form is at 12 furlongs. Roger Varian, his trainer, has no doubts about his adaptability back at a mile and a quarter, nor that he has emerged on the other side after the respiratory infection which ruled him out of the King George, but both have to be question marks when a horse is 7-4 in a deep field.
Idaho (3.05) has developed into one of the season’s leading three-year-olds without actually managing to get his head in front in any of his four starts. In three of those races, however, he ran into Harzand, including in the English and Irish Derbys, where Idaho finished third and second respectively. There is nothing to worry him in the Great Voltigeur Stakes and he should win on the way to the St Leger next month.
Best Of Days (2.30) is another solid favourite in the Acomb Stakes, while on the minor cards, Dawn Mirage (3.55) and Force (4.05) will be difficult to beat at Carlisle and Chepstow respectively.
Tipping competition, day three
Our winners so far:
Monday
Stanghow 10-1
Hiorne Tower 5-1
Sovereign Bounty 10-1
Tuesday
Loaded 3-1
Venutius 9-1
La Fritillaire 9-2
And our leaders are:
GForce1 +15
kingklynch +15
Shrewdette +15
wiggy12 +15
Waltersobchak +11.5
Bacciodilupo +11
yasmin11 +11
… after the leading quartet all found 9-1 shot Venutius at Ripon.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 1.55 York; 3.40 York and 4.20 York.
This week’s prize, generously offered by BetVictor, is a £50 bet, this being a special week of horse racing, with the Ebor meeting taking centre stage.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -6.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
