Sport is made for betting

Highlight of the meeting for most racing fans will be the Juddmonte International where the star 3yos take on the world at weight-for-age. It mightn't be a deep field but it does reek of quality. Even the rank outsider won a G1 just over a year ago.

Taking up the challenge in international racecalling prodigy, Luke Humphreys, @WorldRacingLuke.

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Juddmonte International Stakes
Group 1, £1,000,000, 1m2f56y
York 1535 BST, 0035 AEST

ODDS LISTED ARE BEST AVAILABLE AT TIME OF WRITING (TUESDAY AFTERNOON)

1 Decorated Knight (16/1): Much improved horse this season. Winning two G1s in the Jebel Hatta in Dubai and the Tattersall’s Gold Cup at the Curragh.



Career best performance two back when only finding Highland Reel too good in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. However weakened out of the Eclipse last time out. Don’t discount him completely and whatever the result connections can be very pleased of his outstanding season.

2 My Dream Boat (40/1): Not the horse he on…

The Ebor Meeting, one of the great festivals in British racing, begins tomorrow at York. Huge track, nice and flat, runs in the correct direction, is far cheaper and less pompous than Royal Ascot, bar staff actually know how to pour beer and is part of the beautiful city of York, rather than miles out of town. Do yourself a favour if you've never been!

Preview by a former colleague and friend of many years, Kiaran O'Brien. He's also the author of Edge Your Bets, a suspense novel about the greyhound industry.

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PERSSE TO SHOW WILLING ATTY-TUDE IN VOLTIGEUR

Great Voltigeur Stakes
Group 2 for 3yo, 1m4f, £150k
1500 local, 0000 AEST.

The cliché that horses are not machines was never better illustrated than when Atty Persse trailed in a distant last in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket last month. The race post-mortem found no apparent reason for why the hugely impressive Royal Ascot winner had been beaten so comprehensively and so far out.

Th…

Another baking hot day at Royal Ascot, (crikey it was toasty out there yesterday!), and another six winners to find. Might not be quite as star-studded today, that just means some of these races are downright impossible to solve. Unless of course, you call on the expertise of PRO HORSE, @prohorse_tips

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Wednesday 21st June

Jersey Stakes

Although plenty was expected of Dream Castle on racecourse debut at Doncaster earlier this year, one could not fail to be impressed with the manner of his facile victory.

I felt he was equally impressive in defeat on his second start, when runner-up to Barney Roy in the Greenham. While it’s understandable many were impressed by Barney Roy that day, it’s worth remembering that Dream Castle was cantering all over him that day and traded 1.04 in-running before being run down late on – his keenness in the early stages taking their toll.

Everything about the performance screamed Jersey Stakes and my confidence of the race’s suitabil…

Final leg of the Triple Crown and we will see three different winners in 2017. So no superstars from this crop but then again, Arrogate proved to be the best horse in the world from last year's US crop of three year olds, and he had barely started his career by this time in 2016.

With the preview, it's international racing aficionado, Luke Humphreys, @WorldRacingLuke.

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Belmont Stakes
Group 1, US$1,500,000, 1m4f
Belmont Park 1837 local, 2337 BST, 0837 AEST
ODDS LISTED ARE BEST AVAILABLE AT TIME OF WRITING (FRIDAY AFTERNOON)

1 Twisted Tom (20/1): Winner of all three runs this season, most recently over 9f at Laurel Park in a feature conditions race, the Federico Tesio Stakes. Dodged Preakness for this but big class rise.

2 Tapwrit (8/1): G2 Tampa Bay Downs Derby winner by 4¼ Lengths in March. Subsequently beaten a long way by Irap in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes over 9f at Keeneland. Fighting sixth in G1 Kentucky Derby, will appreciate rise in distance I fe…

'English' Derby one day, French 'Derby' the next. Off to Chantilly tomorrow for the French version, run on a perfectly flat racecourse over a slightly shorter course. Is it a better race? Usually not, but this year with Wings Of Eagles likely to have moderate stud value, who knows what might happen here?

Taking on the task of dissecting the form is French racing fan, Luke Humphreys, @WorldRacingLuke.

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QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club
Group 1, €1,500,000, 1m2f110y
Chantilly 1615 local, 1515 BST, 0015 AEST


1. Brametot (15/8): Has the potential to be anything on his two runs this year. Terrific first-up in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau as a trial for the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and then won that G1 in terrific style holding Le Brivido in the closing stages after settling well back. Draws the inside here which isn’t great or horrible, can miss the start, as he did first-up in the G3 but still winning easily. Will put his cards on the table for the b…

The annual stallion maker race on the goat track takes place tomorrow, in front of the 'peasants' on Poundland Hill and the toffs in top hats in the Queen's Stand. And that level of class divide seems to appear in the field for the blue riband event, with 14 of the 19 runners coming from just three stables, Rekindling owned by Australian squillionaire Lloyd Williams, Eminent owned by Kiwi breeding tycoon Sir Peter Vela, Permian owned by Sheikh Hamdan, and apologies to H.Balasuriya who owns Salouen, I've no idea whether he's a billionaire or just a bloke with a couple of decent horses with Sylvester Kirk! That of course leaves the publicity-seeking nutjob that owns Diore Lia, or more correctly, the nutjob married to the owner of the rank outsider (**apparently it's his sister as this cretin was banned from racing in Ireland for 15 years for not paying his training fees! And now the donkey has been scratched anywa.) As for raising funds for charity, it's fail…

A bit of harness action this weekend with the world famous Elitloppet at Solvalla, Stockholm. It's a format which would shock thoroughbred fans, with heats and finals being run on the same day - these horses are tough! For more details on the race and its unique history, via the Elitloppet website.



Stepping up to preview this time-honoured event is an international harness racing aficionado who had the pleasure of being there last year, Luke Humphrey, @WorldRacingLuke.

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Elitloppet Saturday - Solvalla

R1 (Swedish Cup Heat 1): 5(BEST BET)-1-2-3
R2 (Swedish Cup Heat 2): 2-4-6-3
R3 (Swedish Cup Heat 3) 1-2-6-4
R4: 6-8-10-11
R5: 3-6-7-9
R6: 6-11-3-1
R7 (G2 Swedish Cup Final, Field dependent on Heats):
R8: 3-11-9-8
R9: 11-12-10-9
R10: 11-6-8-2
R11: 5-8-1-9
R12 (G2 Harper Hanovers): 14-13-15-2
R13: 6-9-10-8

Most of the races on the card in my opinion are incredibly tough especially Race 10 and also Races 8, 9 and 11.

Best Bet of the day is in the fi…

I've tried my best with the 2yo race reviews but I'm afraid...



Just can't keep up!

Will try to preview as many of the 2yo pattern races as I can though.

Normal service with guest-written feature previews and the odd rant (yes, haven't done one in a while) to resume.