Some good quality listed races at The Curragh today in Ireland, a really good listed sprint in Germany that you can watch live on RaceBets whilst Goodwood has an excellent 12 furlong Class 2 handicap to keep us busy and Italy presents two very interesting Group races. Time to get to work.
2:40 Curragh Emer Hannon Travel Waterford Testimonial Stakes (Listed Race) 6f
Ground may play a big part in this race but as it stands the most likely winners are G Force who ran well behind The Happy Prince on his penultimate run and again when finishing 4th in the Ayr Gold Cup. He looks to be coming back to his best and the ground will hold no fears. Flight Risk, who found 7.5f too far on heavy ground last time out, will appreciate the step back in trip and should be there at the business end. We can back two in this race at the odds.
1 unit e/w G Force
1 unit e/w Flight Risk
2:45 Munich Bayerischer Sprint Cup (Ex Benazet-Rennen) (Listed Race) (3yo+) (Turf) 5f
This looks Daring Match’s to lose. He is the only one in the field who has run to a figure over 100 and 5f is his best trip. White Witch might have been of interest over 6f but this looks too sharp for her, although the quicker pace will help her settle better. Bondi drops back to 5f but she hasn’t excelled at this distance although she did run a good race last time out over further. Lips Planet was hammered by the selection over 5f, so much so that she then went over 7f so it’s hard to understand how the drop in trip could reverse that form. The rest just don’t look good enough to trouble the favourite on what we have seen.
5 units win Daring Match
3.45 San Siro ItalyPremio Verziere Mem. Aldo Cirla (Group 3) (3yo+ Fillies & Mares) 1m2f
Wordless is the most consistent in this field and certainly deserves a Group race to her name but she was a bit back in her Group 2 assignment and this doesn’t look much easier. If Meliora improves again she will take a hand in the outcome. We are going to plump for Fifth Avenue who is well related, runs consistently well at this level and has the top jock Eduardo Pedroza on board
2 units win Fifth Avenue
3:50 Curragh Staffordstown Stud Stakes (Listed Race) (Fillies) 1m
Its Weld vs O’Brien vs Godolphin in this Fillies contest. The proven Butterflies who was 3rd in a decent Group 3 for O’Brien. Queen Anne’s Lace, so impressive when disposing of Bound on her debut for Weld and Kazimiera who has a bit to find but is well thought of by Godolphin. It’s all about Dermot Weld for us.
2 units win Queen Anne’s Lace
4:50 Goodwood Racehorse Owners Group Stakes (Handicap) Cl2 1m4f
Rex Bell has continued to improve after his win 3 back and he looks the one to consider most with Frankie on for John Gosden but he will face stiff opposition from Pinzolo who is a fine horse on his day and if Ismail Mohammed has sweetened him up then he could take a power of beating having dropped down from a high of 108. Mengli Khan’s win last time out at Kempton was impressive and he looks like he can handle the step up in both trip and class. It’s a good handicap and we will take a chance with the class act in the race.
2 units e/w Pinzolo
4:55 San Siro Italy Premio Dormello (Group 3) (2yo Fillies) (Turf) 1m
Stefano Botti has an even stronger hold over Italian horse racing than Willie Mullins and Aiden O’Brien in Ireland and in this race the only question is which one of his horses will win. We think it is between the unbeaten Candy Store and Mi Raccomando. If it isn’t one of these two, the German Raider for Andreas Wohler could upset the Apple cart with Rainbow Royal but that’s a big ask. Our opinion is that Candy Store will rack up a four timer.
3 units win Candy Store
5:25 Curragh Brown Panther Stakes (Listed Race) 1m4f
Alveenas’ run back in June in a Grp 2 over this trip was a good one for Dermot Weld but the one that followed was disappointing resulting in a lengthy absence that might well have done the job. Bravery steps back up in trip and has potential but they all have to get past Jim Bolger’s, Stellar Mass who looks, on his best, to have a few pounds in hand of what we have seen from this field and should get the job done in the last.
2 units win Stellar Mass
1 unit e/w Bravery
