Sporting Life's tipping team highlight their best bets for the weekend across racing, football, cricket, Formula One and darts.
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RACING
David Ord
Mark Johnston’s charge is a work in progress and very much caught the eye when second to the progressive Just Benjamin at Musselburgh last time. Hampered at the start, he made good headway from the rear of the field and was staying on strongly through the closing stages for all the winner had flown.
There’s plenty more to come from the son of Dansili, the forecast rain is very much in his favour, and he looks to have been found the perfect opportunity to get his head in front. Ryan Moore takes over in the saddle and from an unchanged mark of 79 he’s a confident choice to get the better of recent Bath winner Great Bear and Top Top, who is a potential improver switched to handicaps.
Andrew Balding’s string remain in fine form and he looks to have waited for the right opportunity with this horse for his turf debut. It could be notable that he tackles soft ground for his first run on grass, as he’s related to German soft ground winners, and the form of his latest Wolverhampton second has worked out well.
The third, Gantier, who reopposes here off 7lb worse terms, has won subsequently, as has the last home Patchouli. Off a lowly mark of 77 he looks well treated for Balding and David Probert, who combine well in Haydock handicaps (six wins from 28 at 21.43 per cent).
David Elsworth's gelding, a particularly striking individual, proved himself well up to this level when gaining Group Two successes in the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood (would have been an unlucky loser) and the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury (Breton Rock third). A later fifth behind One Master in the Group One Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October would also give him outstanding claims here.
Seven furlongs is very much the ideal trip for Gerald Mosse's mount
Goes well at this track and excuses for York defeat last time when he found himself with too much to do in a hot handicap. Can bounce back with Thore Hammer Hansen taking a valuable five pounds off.
FOOTBALL
George Pitts - Nations League
- To appear here
CRICKET
Richard Mann - England v Bangladesh
Bangladesh's opening partnership has started the tournament well with the classy Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarker putting on 60 for the first wicket against South Africa and then 45 in Wednesday's narrow loss to New Zealand.
Both were adept at handling the pace of Kagiso Rabada and swing of Trent Boult and England's attack might not find it easy to make an early breakthrough, particularly against Tamim who can already boast two ODI hundreds against Saturday's rivals.
Given England 's own troubles against spin at the top of the order, Bangladesh look worth a bet at 13/8 to have the highest opening partnership in the match.
FORMULA ONE
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix marked a turning point in Carlos Sainz's season as he battled to a creditable seventh. An eighth place followed at his home race at Barcelona, but Monaco was the circuit at which it all came together, as he finished "best of the rest" in sixth place.
The Montreal track, with its long straights, heavy braking zones and technical slow corners, is something of a halfway house between Monte Carlo and Baku, so McLaren should be up near the front of the midfield.
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