UK Horse Racing Tips

Having run inexplicably poorly when last of 13 at Ascot on his penultimate start, Pettochside bounced back with a game win at Goodwood 12 days ago and may be capable of defying a 6lb penalty in the Thatcham Butchers Handicap (4.35) at Newbury on Friday. John Bridger’s 8-year-old has done most of his winning with plenty of cut in the ground and has yet to run a bad race for Holly Doyle so, while he probably needs to record a career-best effort to win, he has plenty going for him. He’s 6lb worse off for a neck with Baron Bolt on their running at Goodwood, so it’s interesting that connections are keen to reoppose Paul Cole’s 4-year-old on disadvantageous terms. Pettochside is from a fairly unfashionable stable, too, so there’s every chance he could be underestimated by backers and layers alike, but could nevertheless go well at a decent price.

Selection: Newbury 4.35 Pettochside to win 7-1

“Breeders Cup 2010” (CC BY 2.0) by Just chaos

The 2017 edition of the Breeders’ Cup is almost upon us and this year the two-day meeting will be staged at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in San Diego County, California. During the course of the event, there will be a total of 13 races, with four on Friday November 3 and nine on Saturday November 4, including the headline Breeders’ Cup Classic. For this preview, we will be focusing our attention on the $6m main event.

The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a Grade 1 race for three-year-olds and over and is run over 1 1/4 miles. Pre-entries will be confirmed on October 25, with the final entries and draw for positions being announced on Monday October 30.

Of the early contenders, Gun Runner stand outs of the pack, having won three straight Grade 1 races in the lead up to this with his only defeat in last six coming at the Dubai World Cup back March. On that occasion the Steve Asmussen-trained colt was bettered by Arrogate, who will be defending his 2016 crown at Del Mar.

Despite his impressive run in Dubai, Arrogate has failed to retain confidence among many punters following back-to-back defeats at Del Mar. With the course seemingly against Bob Baffert’s horse, many are viewing the in-form Gun Runner as a safer option.

Another Bob Baffert entry who does have form on this course is Collected. Not only is he unbeaten in 2017 but he also excelled at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic last time out coming home ahead of stablemate Arrogate.

Outside of those three, West Coast arrives here on the back of five straight wins including a Grade 1 triumph in the Pennsylvania derby last time out. Also from the Bob Baffert stable, the three-year-old is still improving and should be right in the mix.

So can Arrogate live up to the hype that surrounded him last year? Will Gun Runner carry the momentum into this race? Or will they both be pipped by one of the many strong contenders? A host of horse racing bookies are already taking bets ahead of the final draw at the end of the month, with Gun Runner currently the clear favourite.

“Santa Anita Horse Races / The Breeders’” (CC BY 2.0) by Bahman Mahmoudi

Verdict

This race might just have come too soon for the impressive West Coast and he is likely to be too short a price for a place bet. However, Collected is worth considering for a place at the current prices available.

Of the two big names, Gun Runner juts gets the nod here. He has course and distance form on his side and his trajectory seems to have been timed perfectly for this race. He was by no means disgraced in Dubai and has won his last five on home soil.

With Arrogate due to retire after this race, it would make a great story if he could sign off in style. And if this race was being held anywhere else, he would be our pick.

1. Gun Runner

2. Arrogate

3. Collected

Whatever happens, it’s set to be a world class meet in stunning Californian surroundings.

The legendary Frankie Dettori stole the show at Ascot once again on Saturday as he won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Champion Stakes in quick succession. Persuasive was an impressive winner in the former, but it was Cracksman in the latter that really set the pulses racing. It was by far and away the best performance from a colt all season as he finished seven lengths clear of Poet’s Word. It completed a 23/1 double for a jubilant Dettori, and ensured he upstaged Aiden O’Brien on a blustery day at Ascot. The Irish trainer equalled a world record on Saturday by recording his 25th Group 1 victory of the season, but his thunder was well and truly stolen by Dettori. It was also a day to remember for Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom, who landed one of the gambles of the season as Librisa Breeze won the Champions Sprint – Bloom’s first ever Group 1 winner – after his team had beaten West Ham 3-0 in the Premiership.

But this glorious day belonged to Detorri, who rode his first ever Group 1 winner when he was victorious in the 1990 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. O’Brien had not even gained his licence back then, and it was fitting that Detorri won the race again on Saturday, 27 years after his inaugural success. Ribchester, the leading miler in Europe this season, started as the 2-1 favourite, but Persuasive was too strong in the desperate conditions. Ribchester led the race two furlongs out, but Persuasive loved the ground and found a change of gear to surge past him, winning by a length as Detorri eased her up towards the end. O’Brien’s Churchill was third in a very strong field, and Detorri was delighted with the win. He performed his trademark flying dismount in the winner’s enclosure and praised Persuasive’s “exceptional turn of foot”.

But the best was yet to come as Detorri rode Cracksman to an astonishingly dominant victory. His performance conjured up memories of his sire, Frankel, but even that great horse did not win this race with the level of dominance displayed by Cracksman on this blustery day. He is the first son of Frankel to win a Group 1 race and it banished memories of his near miss in the Epsom Derby. Cracksman has improved greatly over the course of the year and was rampant on Saturday. He destroyed Poet’s Word and finished well clear of multiple G1 winner Highland Reel, leading Detorri to call it a “fantastic feeling” as he claimed his first ever Champion Stakes.

On that showing, the only three-year-old middle distance horse in the business that could stop Cracksman would be stablemate Enable, who won the Arc de Triomphe in similarly sensational fashion. Enable is the favourite to win it next year, but Cracksman has now been installed as second favourite and Detorri will be faced with the most difficult decision of his career should these two race against one another next year. Who to ride, Enable or Cracksman? A month ago the answer would have been obvious, but now there is little to split them.

At SportingIndex.com Cracksman and Enable will be the ones to watch next season as they have both killed spread betting winning distances wagers in the Champions Stakes and the Arc.

Their trainer, John Gosden, has nine wins at G1 this season and he has had a great year, which puts O’Brien’s achievement in context. The Ballydoyle maestro equalled the world record set by Bobby Frankel in the USA in 2003 after Hydrangea battled through the slop to win the Fillies And Mares Stakes, O’Brien’s 25th G1 winner of the year. The Irish trainer was visibly delighted, but he may have been even happier to see favourite Order of St George snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as he made up a four-length deficit to win the G2 Long Distance Cup by half a length from Torcedor in dramatic fashion.

Order of St George was the heavily backed favourite, and that win along with Detorri’s double will have made it a profitable day for many punters. The other big winner on the day was Librisa Breeze, who got the better of several big names to claim the British Champions Sprint. Harry Angel was sent off as favourite and The Tin Man, Caravaggio and Quiet Reflection all lined up in a terrifyingly competitive field, but Librisa Breeze relished the heavy going, put in a commanding performance and came in at 10-1. “This is my first Group 1 so that is very special,” said Bloom, who completed a hat-trick after Brighton won and Withhold took the Cesarewithch. “It has been an incredible eight days.”

Author bio

Martin Green is an experienced horseracing correspondent and tipster and has covered the sport of kings for many years.

It seems an awfully long time ago that Move In Time won the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp – it was, in fact, three seasons ago – and the 9-year-old has been in steady decline in recent seasons. However, the Monsieur Bond gelding is still capable of decent form on his day, as he demonstrated when fifth of 14, beaten 1¼ lengths, in a 0-95 contest at York in July, off a handicap mark of 94. He recently left David O’Meara to join Paul Midgley, but wouldn’t be the first horse to be rejuvenated by a change of scenery and finds himself in a fairly ordinary 0-85 contest off a handicap mark of 83, his lowest ever. Clearly, he comes with risks attached but, if he’s destined for a return to the winners’ enclosure, today could be his day under conditions that should suit him.

Selection: Nottingham 4.40 Move In Time to win 8/1