The best betting opportunity on unique Ascot card is to rely on Irish to lift the overall prize at value odds The Shergar Cup’s team format is not to everyone’s taste but one bet can give you an interest throughout the card and Ireland could be worth backing at around 3-1 at Ascot on Saturday.Group One Power (2.00) and Dance Fever (2.35) have strong chances in the middle of the card for Joe Fanning and Tadhg O’Shea, while David Egan has several rides that could go well at decent odds. Related: Wonderful Tonight takes easy Lillie Langtry win but needs Arc jockey Ascot 12.50 King Of Stars 1.25 Uber Cool 2.00 Group One Power (nap) 2.35 Dance Fever (nb) 3.10 Contact...
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy looks an eye-catching booking for 20-1 outsider in competitive Group Two contest Four horses that finished behind Berkshire Shadow in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot have had an outing since and all four have been beaten, but the form may well get a boost on Thursday when four more – including Eldrickjones, the runner-up, and Ebro River – go to post for Group Two July Stakes on the first day of Newmarket’s July Festival meeting.Eldrickjones, still a maiden after two starts, outran odds of 66-1 to finish a length and a quarter behind Berkshire Shadow, while Ebro River was within a length of him in fifth. Related: Talking Horses: key week as new claims emerge...
Reports that a prominent British trainer found traces of steroids in horses could be seriously damaging for Irish racing’s leadersJust a few days before senior officials from Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) are due to appear before the Irish parliament’s agriculture committee to discuss “integrity and possible drug use” in Irish racing, the Sunday Independent added more fuel to the fire (£) this weekend with fresh claims to back up trainer Jim Bolger’s suggestion last year that drugs are “the number one problem” for the sport in Ireland.One suggestion is that a well-known trainer based in Britain carried out hair testing on six horses bought from Ireland last year. According to the report, the...
The Sandown Group One heat has attracted just four runners but the selection’s rider has the tactical nous to grab the prizeFour runners for a Group One with a £340,000 first prize is undoubtedly a disappointment, but Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown has at least avoided an odds-on favourite and remains an interesting betting heat.Mishriff, St Mark’s Basilica and Addeybb also boast no fewer than nine Group One wins between them, though most were overseas and direct form lines are few and far between. All three have obvious claims but it is hard to see why Addeybb (3.35) is the marginal outsider of the principals at around 3-1. Related: Talking Horses: why BHA will be in a tricky position if...
Trueshan’s bid to stage one of the greatest weight-carrying performances since Red Rum is set to be scupperedIt will be one of the greatest weight-carrying performances since Red Rum’s second Grand National in 1974 if Trueshan can defy 10st 4lb in the ultra-competitive Northumberland Plate on Saturday.Alan King’s stayer, who runs off an official rating of 118, has a well-known liking for soft ground on turf but he has form on the all-weather Tapeta surface and Rhys Clutterbuck’s 5lb claim is helpful too. Related: Talking Horses: uplifting Royal Ascot points to a bright future for racing Newmarket Continue reading...