Passionate about NH & Flat Racing. I’m Steve Mullington from Rochdale. My racing blog on Betfinder is about the ups & downs of a regular punter and sports fan. A place to come to share ideas, tips and of course-friendly banter!
It was a weekend that saw reputations both enhanced and damaged in the Group races galore across the UK, Ireland and France.
Several horses threw their hats into the ring as live Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe contenders too, in what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting renewals of the French racing showpiece.
French racing executives at France Galop are slightly concerned however about how many fans will attend this year’s Arc weekend, which post-Covid regularly attracted 10- 15,000 visiting racegoers – mainly from the UK, Ireland and Japan.
It’s easy to understand why there are so many regulars are giving the trip over to Paris a miss this year, and that’s because of the rigmarole and extra costs involved with Covid testing.
I myself have already forked out an extra £100 for PCR testing and I’m just an example of a solo traveller. Multiply those additional costs by the number of people in your prospective party and it turns out to be a very expensive weekend all round.
If the Government scrap the PCR testing soon, we have a fighting chance of going back to watch more overseas horse racing.
Doncaster Round Up
William Buick and Hurricane Lane stormed to St Leger victory on Saturday with the Godolphin runner now being aimed at the 100th running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 3rd, for which he is trading as a 7/1 chance.
Very few St Leger winners have won as readily as Hurricane Lane but none whatsoever have completed the Leger/Arc double in the same season.
Trainer Charlie Appleby said after the Town Moor Classic: “The Arc is on everybody’s mind. I see no reason why we wouldn’t potentially turn up.”
On the same card, Hurricane Ivor justified favouritism to land the Portland Handicap, while Bayside Boy won the G2 Champagne Stakes, and Glorious Journey took the G2 Park Stakes.
Leopardstown Round Up
- Atomic Jones won the one-mile G2 Champions’ Juvenile Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race.
- No Speak Alexander (25/1), trained by Jessica Harrington, caused a huge surprise in the €300,000 G1 Matron Stakes
- Jessica Harrington also bagged the G2 Boomerang Mile with Real Appeal
- St Mark’s Basilica won a thrilling four horse Irish Champion Stakes. The 5/6 favourite showed his brilliance to overcome Tarnawa and Poetic Flare in a tactical affair for the mile-and-a-quarter Group 1
Curragh Round Up
La Petite Coco reeled in Love to land the G2 Moyglare Blandford Stakes. Betfair made her a 9/2 chance from 12-1 for the Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot next month. Love will still head to the Arc de Triomphe providing the ground is sufficiently good.
16/1 shot Romantic Proposal claimed top honours in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes. A Case Of You, Dragon Symbol and Glass Slippers finished in behind and should be followed in again this season.
Discoveries provided Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley with another Irish Champions Weekend success in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Native Trail catapulted himself to the top of the 2000 Guineas betting odds with a brilliant victory in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes. Paddy Power make Native Trail their 5/1 favourite (from 10/1) for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
A Melbourne Cup tilt may be on the cards for Sonnyboyliston after the four-year-old claimed Classic glory in the Irish St Leger. It was a poignant win for his trainer Johnny Murtagh who won all the Irish classics as a jockey.
Longchamp Round Up
Bubble Gift and Gerald Mosse ran down Baby Rider to land the Prix Niel. The winner was cut from 100/1 to 50/1 for the Arc.
Roger Varian’s Teona shocked Snowfall as she pulled off an unexpected victory in the Prix Vermeille. Snowfall was eased to 6/1 from 5/2 by UK bookmakers for the Arc and now rate Teona at odds of 16/1.
Deep Bond galloped his rivals senseless in the Prix Foy to give the Japanese another live chance in the Arc. Bookmakers slashed him down to 20/1 from 40/1 for the race.
The other Group winners on the afternoon were Berneuil in the Prix du Petit Couvert and Sagamiyra in the Prix Du Pin.
Coming up…
Well The Mediterranean placed for me at odds of 28/1 in the St Leger which was very pleasing.
Next weekend is the Ayr Gold Cup, so a speculative each-way bet goes the way of the Michael Dods-trained Commanche Falls at 14/1.
* Horse racing odds quoted correct at the time of writing. All betting odds are subject to change.
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