News yesterday that Aidan O'Brien is likely to saddle four in Europe's richest race the Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday week with the filly and dual Guineas winner Winter under consideration for the race.
Only one horse – John Gosden's Enable – stood between O'Brien and all ten classics in Britain and Ireland this season and Enable remains BetVictor's 4/5 favourite for the great race with Winter 10/1 (Non Runner No Bet) although it should be noted that Ballydoyle have not confirmed the filly for the race.
If Winter does go to post I can't see her going off a double-figure price for what doesn't look a vintage renewal of the Arc and remember you will get your money back if she is diverted to the Opera for which she is the 5/2 favourite at BetVictor.
Yarmouth's big day today with the listed John Musker Fillies' Stakes the highlight of their three-day Eastern Meeting. The classic generation have won eight of the last ten renewals but I favour the older horses this afternoon and the vote goes to the four-year-old filly Beautiful Morning (3.50) trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington.
The selection was highly regarded when trained in Newmarket by Luca Cumani and she ran her best race yet for the Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer when runner up at the Curragh ten days ago. Colm O'Donoghue comes across for the ride, the filly has a cracking draw in stall two and she must go close. High Hopes did us a couple of favours earlier in the season and she might be the best of the home contenders.
O'Donoghue also takes the mount on Godolphin's Dream Warrior (2.45) and Charlie Appleby's Dubawi colt will be hard to beat following a promising debut when third – a beaten favourite – at Ascot over seven furlongs. The colt holds a couple of big entries so is obviously held in some regard by connections and I expect him to get off the mark at the second attempt.
Zabeel Prince was pulled out of a race at Ayr last month on account of the ground and connections obviously feel he needs plenty of cut to be seen at his best. He must go close but he is likely to be short enough in the betting given he represents powerful connections. Wealth Tax (4.55) ran well in a valuable race at Hamilton over slightly further last time and he can get back to winning ways for Ed Dunlop.
At Sandown the highlight is the listed Fortune Stakes and the hope is that Jim Crowley rides D'Bai (3.05) more prominently than Mikael Barzelona did on the gelding at Bordeaux last time. Charlie Appleby saddles the 3-year-old and this stiff mile should suit this lightly raced son of Dubawi who wouldn't want the ground to dry out too much.
Dynamic (3.40) created a favourable impression when landing the odds at Newmarket last month and she may have been let in off a decent mark on her handicap debut given she has only had two career starts.
There is a twilight card at Kelso this evening and Red Giant (5.00) was the “winner” of the void race at Perth last week and can run from the same mark this afternoon. Trainer Jennie Candlish fits her six-year-old with cheek-pieces for the first time this afternoon and he certainly deserves to get his head in front – he is a confident selection.
Any significant rain would help Vengeur De Guye returning from a short break and I suggest we check the market for market confidence. Indian Voyage is dropping like a stone in the weights and should not be underestimated but I felt Martiloo (6.00) won like an Improving young horse at Perth last time and he might be up to defying a 10lbs rise.
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