Welcome to the BettingChoice Horse Racing Blog. Here you'll find all the tips, insights and opinions for the world's biggest races including: Cheltenham, Breeders' Cup, Dubai Racing, the Grand National and more.
The UAE Derby is restricted to 3yo’s and Southern Hemisphere 4yo’s going 1m1f and a bit on the Tapeta surface. Toast Of New York has been getting a lot of press recently but this is a very difficult race - made more so by the fact that Long John will probably be one of the biggest favourites of the entire day. Punters have him backed down to a 7/4 price and justifiably so as he appears to be one of the sharpest contenders in Godolphin’s 3yo division.
The richest individual day of thoroughbred racing is nearly upon us as the 2014 Dubai World Cup is finally set to run this Saturday at fabulous Meydan racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. While the $10,000,000 purse for the feature is definitely lighting up plenty of eyes across the globe, it’s easy to forget that there are a pile of very interesting contests unfolding on the undercard.
There is a lot to like about some of these races and we’ll be taking a look at the bigger ones here and trying to get a gauge on how things are expected to shape...
The most short-priced Group 1 winner in the mix appears to be the talented Toormore who lines up for Richard Hannon. He captrued the Vincent O’Brien Stakes by nearly three lengths back in mid-September of 2013 when sent off at even money against a fairly competitive field of five. Notably, he got the better of Breeders’ Cup winner Outstrip when he raced in a Group 2 contest at Goodwood back in late July.
With a price hovering around 7/1 at the moment, you can expect Toormore to quietly build up some steam in the market as we get closer to the race itself.
Now that the official nominations have been sorted for the 2000 Guineas it’s going to be interesting to see how the ante post market continues to move. There are a number of very interesting fancies out there and more than a few of them have a genuine chance. With the dawn of the flat season nearly upon us with the William Hill Lincoln set to run this weekend, everybody is already bracing themselves for the launch of the English Classics season when the 2000 Guineas finally gets underway at Newmarket.
Punters will find Hillstar, African Story, Mukhadram and Prince Bishop all priced at the same listing for this one with a 10/1 price tag. There are some very competitive runners lining up and declared at considerable odds with the likes of Ron The Greek available at 16/1 and looking good for an each-way selection.
Mike De Kock will saddle Saanshawes for this one, who also can be backed at 16/1 and there is also the likes of Vancouverite out there an the exact same price. Keep your eyes peeled on the ante post market as there is going to be lots of interesting fluctuations in the build-up to the race itself.
The world is anxiously awaiting the kick off of the widely-anticipated Dubai World Cup - the richest horse race in the world and the most rewarding single day in sports. While America doesn’t have any representatives this year attempting to build off of what Animal Kingdom was able to pull off last year, Europe and Asia are very well represented and there are a number of very plausible winners set to face off in this big contest.
At this point in time, Ruler of the World has been considered the 4/1 ante post favourite with most major bookmakers and the Coolmore-trained contender will probably take a substantial...
She is definitely a proper each-way selection and, though this is a significant step up in quality, you have to respect that this may just be a horse who knows how to find the line. It’s not often you get a chance to back a horse who is 5/5 in rules races at a price as high as 16/1.
Glens Melody stands as a significant outside shot who has been racking up a series of wins on the Class 1 circuit and improving each time. She has won a pair of listed contests at Warwick to serve as her Cheltenham prep and she looks a key contender for Willy Mullins here. The...
Sirene D’Ainay is an interesting option that ships in from France and these mysterious types can sometimes turn out to be real festival stories but this one looks a bit lukewarm from here. She finished second to Quevega in this race last year after doing most of her running at Pau.
She only wound up finishing a length and a half behind that day and looked a real coup for place punters as she was 33/1 to win and a hefty price to hit the board. However, she came into that race with some good form and this year she has been knocking on the door mostly and only just made the breakthrough last time out at her preferred...
The Mares hurdle is always one of those races where you’re coming in with a big favourite and several other pretenders to the crown at much more significant odds. This year is absolutely no different with Quevega once again dominating the market with all bookmakers pricing her extremely short for Cheltenham glory. There is a lot to like about her chances and, while you don’t reckon many punters will be going all out and making her their festival banker - she does represent some great value on accumulator tickets with a few other slightly longer-odds selections.
Court By Surprise was pulled up in this race last year but should kick on nicely after knocking on the door in his past few. There is a lot to like about his ability to get the job done and it’s worth keeping your eyes on his price - which is now 11/2 but is certain to fall quite quickly. It is worth noting that many bookmakers have recently taken Monbeg Dude in to 4/1 from 11/2.
Godsmejudge certainly has his followers but will be coping with a top weight after being pulled up last time out. Jonjo O’Neill’s Storm Survivor was recently trimmed...
