Our experts are looking forward to a busy weekend featuring the Breeders' Cup and Charlie Hall Chase - don't miss the latest tips for Keeneland, Wetherby and elsewhere.
The three best European 2yo fillies line up in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf – who gets your vote?
David Ord: It’s a crackerjack race isn’t it. Sun Goddess has been brilliant this season but has been on the go since May and I’m just inching towards AMUSINGLY over her. Admittedly the draw was hardly kind to either filly, but I thought Francis-Henri Graffard’s charge looked like she was out of the trop drawer when winning the Jean-Luc Lagardere and I loved the way she went through the race. She’s on the upgrade, fresher than plenty of her rivals and I think she’ll run a huge race.
Nic Doggett: None of them - I like CURRACLOE as an each-way angle. The others will tell you all you need to know about the big three and what they've achieved, but this Baaeed filly was a very rare debut winner for Johnny Murtagh and then coped well with much more testing ground when winning a Group 3 at the Curragh – all in the space of less than four weeks in September. Her pedigree suggests that this quicker ground won't be a worry – her dam Sassy Little Lila won on firm and went close in a pair of Grade 1s – and I think Curracloe will run a big race from stall three.
John Ingles: I'm thinking along similar lines to Dave here. Sun Goddess sets the standard and has been hard to fault all year, but there’s a chance this could be one race too many. She also can’t afford to miss the break which she has done in some of her races, especially from that draw. AMUSINGLY, on the other hand, might not have peaked for the year after her smart effort to beat the colts in the Jean-Luc Lagardere last time, and while the return to a mile is admittedly a slight question mark, she was only beaten a neck when previously tried.
And can you give us a horse or two to back at Keeneland on the stacked Saturday programme?
David Ord: I think Ryan Moore has got it wrong in the Turf and despite the draw would be with DIAMOND NECKLACE over Benvenuto Cellini. She ran well in the Arc, her only blip this season came when plenty in the yard were under a cloud and she has all the tools for this race. I’ll double her up with BACIO in the Turf Sprint. I have an awful lot of time for Comanche Brave but I just don’t think he’ll see which way the favourite goes over this five furlongs. He won despite the ground at York and we’re nowhere near seeing the best of him yet.
Nic Doggett: I'm going to put all my eggs in one basket with COMANCHE BRAVE in the Turf Sprint (17:48). Sorry Dave, but the Nunthorpe winner Bacio makes the market and he should have plenty of company on the speed. I think this 5.5f race should set up perfectly for the Donnacha O'Brien-trained sprinter whose wins this year include the July Cup and Flying Five. He's been sparingly campaigned towards the back end of the season and appears to have ideal conditions here. On a literal form line through last year's winner Starlust, who was second to Bacio in the Nunthorpe and beaten a little further behind Comanche Brave at the Curragh, he looks the value.
John Ingles: BACIO is one American horse on the card that we know plenty about in Britain after his wins at Royal Ascot and York and it will be fascinating to see what he can do back on his home turf. He’s got last year’s winner Shisospicy drawn just to his inside in the Turf Sprint, but she’s been seen only once since Del Mar twelve months ago and from his low draw Bacio should simply have too much pace again for the Europeans taking him on. At a much bigger price, SURVIE might be interesting against some higher profile raiders in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. George Boughey’s mare looked a very different proposition when completing a quick double at Saratoga in August, clearly well suited by American conditions and sweeping from last to first when beating male rivals in the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf Stakes. You can ignore her last run in the Prix Vermeille when her saddle slipped, and her jockey Flavien Prat has had plenty of Breeders’ Cup success as well as partnering Survie to her first win at Saratoga in the summer.
What catches your eye domestically on the Charlie Hall Chase card at Wetherby?
David Ord: I have question marks against Pic D’Orhy at the head of the Charlie Hall market over whether a truly-run race at this trip really is his bag, while Handstands never quite fired last season. I can't quite see a bet in the race but will be siding with RACE TO BASE half an hour later in the two-mile handicap hurdle. He signed off his novice season with a career-best run in second at Sandown and he looks capable of better this term for Nick Scholfield, who continues to impress as a trainer going places.
Nic Doggett: It's boring but I think the two Dan Skelton-trained mares KATEIRA and TAKE NO CHANCES will win their respective races, so the double at around 7/1 appeals. Both horses come into the weekend on the back of prep runs at Chepstow where they were sent off at 50/1 and 40/1 and they ran as those odds suggested they would. But Saturday will have been the target and both horses have a good record at the track. Kateira won the listed Montagu Mares' Hurdle (13:45) last year where she only had an under-par Golden Ace to beat, but it's worth noting that three of her seven wins have come in November. Take No Chances was a neck behind Strong Leader in the bet365 Hurdle (14:18) last year but was carrying a penalty then and is now 4 lb better off with her year-older rival.
John Ingles: Some meagre fields at Wetherby thanks to the ground somehow being ‘good to firm in places’ despite some wild weather in these parts just last weekend. In the big race itself, old Pic d’Orhy is bound to attract plenty of attention on his first start for Dan Skelton and is the form pick, having been second last year when THE REAL WHACKER was last of five. However, the latter comes into this year’s race on the back of a smart win at Perth last month in a change of headgear and could prove more of a threat this time having won this in 2024.
Finally, where are you looking in Ascot’s Sodexo Live! Regal Encore Handicap Chase?
David Ord: CALIFET EN VOL. He’s only three pounds higher than when beating Viroflay at Kempton in February and now finds himself a pound better off with that rival. The ground was against him at Ayr on his final start but he looks a potential improver as he gains more experience in his second season over fences, with ground and track looking ideal for him on Saturday.
Nic Doggett: I think these might be my most boring answers ever (editor's note: that would be some achievement) but I like the look of Paul Nicholls' VIROFLAY under Lucas Murphy who is quite clearly stealing 7lb with his claim at the moment. This horse finished first or second in nine of his 12 starts over regulation fences and has a bit of Ascot experience too from last season. Normally I'd consider Henry's Friend the value, but I'm worried about the form of the Ben Pauling yard. He's one to watch out for with a return for the Silver Cup in December in mind.
John Ingles: This looks tricky with plenty having question marks about them, all the more so with most having their first run of the season, and it’s not often you get three runners in a good handicap like this with the Timeform squiggle! All three of those ‘characters’ also happen to go well at Ascot, though, including last year’s winner Henry’s Friend, but maybe it’s safest to go with the fit and in-form TAPLEY who has made a perfect start for the Moore yard and is getting weight from most of his rivals.
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