Sport is made for betting

ROYAL ASCOT THURSDAY NORFOLK STAKES Another big field juvenile sprint, don't be put off by the odds, the last four winners have been 14/1, 50/1, 150/1, 12/1 and no favourite has won since 2008. Aidan O'Brien had an odds-on shot, Whistlejacket, turned over in this last year. 1. Afjan   - impressive winner in a newcomers' race at Chantilly in a good time. Bred to be quick, drawn near the inside which hasn't been an advantage as yet. 3. Charles Darwin - one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week and the stable is cleaning up in the 2yo races. Has won his last two starts conclusively, looking very hard to beat. 4. Clear Force - trained by Karl Burke, beat the future Marygate winner to win easily at Ripon, then disappointed in the National Stakes at Sandown. Unless there was an excuse, he's going to need a big lift to match these. 7. First Legion - won nicely at York on debut but was then beaten at Sandown, regressing slightly in rating. Cost half a million at ...

ROYAL ASCOT DAY 2 QUEEN MARY There's a lot of chaff in this race, I'd be here all night if I went through them all properly. 1. America - drawn the outside rail but struggled to win at Bath last time. 2. Caitlin G - squillions but will have to have a token bet on her after my daughter... 3. Cardiff By The Sea - ran well against one of the better Coolmore colts on debut, recording a decent RPR. Not out of it. 9. Harry's Girl - beaten in the final strides at York last time in the Marygate, by the 33/1 shot Secret Hideaway who held her cover into the stiff headwind until very late. The stable have a high opinion of this one but she's a bit of a worry in the barriers - could easily miss the start by three lengths. Rather handy, worth the risk at 15/1+. 11. Lennilu - US raider trained by the astute Patrick Biancone. Has won both starts comfortably so far, in rather different circumstances. She debuted at Keeneland on the dirt (slop, it was wet!), stalked the lead and ra...

ROYAL ASCOT DAY 1 Warm day, dry ground, cracking fields in the big races and a lot of people in ridiculous top hats & morning suits melting. Bring it on! QUEEN ANNE 1. Cairo - ran eighth in this race last year at 150/1 and hasn't miraculously improved in the meantime. No hope. 2. Carl Spackler - curious runner for the Yulong empire and leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher, having just been purchased out of the Chad Brown camp in the US. He's won 8/12 starts, including G1 races such as the Fourstardave and the Maker's Mile Handicap. Loves to sit on speed and kick away. Champion American mare Tepin won this race back in 2016 when everyone wrote off the US turf form. His form measures up nicely against her and the history of this race. Barring Baaeed and Frankel's years, his best would be good enough to win this. If you were curious about the name - it's Bill Murray's character in Caddyshack. 3. Dancing Gemini - the David against Goliath prospect, running...

Still in front at the time of writing, let's keep it that way! TRIUMPH HURDLE The championship race of juvenile hurdling. This used to be the only option for juveniles, now there's a handicap as well (ah bless him, Puturhandstogether) which see trainers be more realistic with their plans if not part of the big stables. Willie Mullins has a ridiculous 11 of the 18 runners here, although none in single figures. 1. Blue Lemons - weird to see a son of Blue Point here, but he is out of a Galileo mare. One start for a nice win at Gowran Park but there'll be several better than him here. 2. Charlus - struggled to beat Holy See on Irish debut after being bought out of France. That horse finished a mile back in the Fred Winter. 3. East India Dock - useful on the Flat, now very good over hurdles. Has won all three starts in this discipline, easily over Hot Fuss, Static and Stencil respectively who were all in the Fred Winter. Two of those wins were here (one on each course), that...

Ahead on both days so far, long may it continue! As per yesterday, not a day with the razzle dazzle of the bookends but a decent-looking betting day.  MARES' NOVICE Handy race this, quite a few chances. 2. Aurora Vega - will always be well supported being out of the mighty mare Quevega and in the W.Mullins camp. Has won all of her completed runs (three) over hurdles, with the one failure being when she pulled up at 1/10 at Wexford one day.  She's got a decent engine this one but faces her toughest test here. 9. Jubilee Alpha - the first of two Paul Nicholls runners, she has been cleaning up mares' races at Taunton & Windsor with relative ease, and the two horses who have been second to her in those will be outsiders here. Harry Cobden said it was his best ride of the week. A strong traveller, she will look a big chance coming down the hill but how strong are her rivals this time? 10. Just A Rose - won her first race under Rules by 26L when the jockey just let her go. Ho...

Never the strongest of day for betting, at least for me. The Festival used to be three days and packed to the brim with class. Over four days,  the middle two cards lack the razzle dazzle. TURNERS NOVICES Wednesday kicks off with quite a competitive race, for the mid-distance novice hurdlers. The Irish have won 10 of the last 11 editions, and Willie Mullins has six in the race. 1. Final Demand - winner of three from three and dominant every time. Switched from the three-mile Albert Bartlett back to 2m5f, doubt it will hurt his chances. Mullins & Townsend, very promising. 5. Kel Histoire - recent McManus purchase who looks destined for a staying chaser campaign in future years. Was running on late to take second against Salvator Mundi in the G2 Moscow Flyer at Punchestown in January, that winner ran fifth in the Supreme. In the mix for the placings. 6. Kiss Will - very inexperienced with just the one start over hurdles - an effortless win in a Fairyhouse maiden. Who knows what's...

SUPREME NOVICES HURDLE 5. Kopek Des Bordes ⁃ Unbeaten in three, bolted in by 13L in a Group 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival yet still running too keen, oh, and he’s trained by Willie Mullins who has won the opening race of the Festival three times in the past ten years. Yet only two and a half favs (Constitution Hill was a joint fav in 2022, can you believe that?) have won in the past 10 years but all of them were well fancied bar one - the stubborn Labaik at 25/1 in 2017. Of the five races in that past 10 which have had this many runners (12) or fewer, all of the aforementioned favourites have landed and the longest-priced winner was 9/2. Extremely hard to beat but will wear a hood for the first time. The stats on that piece of headgear are terrible so some bookies will be happy to take him on. 6. Romeo Coolio ⁃ Second in the Champion Bumper last year, he got his Maiden Hurdle win out pf the way at Down Royal then started 1/2 in the G2 Royal Bond but could only run second amongst a qu...