After a hectic run of major meetings and Group 1 races, this weekend is a little lighter, although there is still plenty for racing fans to follow.
The main British meeting comes from Ayr, where racing begins on Friday and continues into Saturday. The feature is the Ayr Gold Cup, one of the biggest sprint handicaps of the season, with a large field set to tackle the six furlongs on Saturday afternoon.
Friday also brings Listed racing from Ayr and Newbury, while the international action continues later in the evening with the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, a Grade 1 over a mile and a quarter on dirt.
Saturday has a strong international feel. Caulfield hosts two Group 1 races in Australia, headed by the Underwood Stakes alongside the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Later in the day the focus moves to Parx, where the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes for three-year-old fillies is followed by the Pennsylvania Derby.
Sunday is much quieter at the top level. The main race comes from Dortmund, where the German St Leger is run over 1m6f. Closer to home there is racing from Listowel, Plumpton and Hamilton.
Moving into next week, racing comes from tracks including Listowel, Leicester, Ffos Las and Fairyhouse, with the Kerry National providing the main midweek attraction. There is plenty of interest building around the valuable staying chase as the final field begins to take shape.
Looking slightly further ahead, Newmarket returns to centre stage next weekend with the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes and Middle Park Stakes, while The Curragh hosts the Irish Cesarewitch.
Big races this week
FRIDAY
2:30pm Ayr (Racing TV)
British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes (Listed Race)
5f, Flat Turf
4:07pm Newbury (Sky Sports Racing)
Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes (Listed Race)
7f, Flat Turf
9:14pm Belmont Park (Sky Sports Racing)
Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (Grade 1)
1m2f, Dirt
SATURDAY
6:35am Caulfield (Sky Sports Racing)
Henley Homes Underwood Stakes (Group 1)
1m1f, Flat Turf
3:40pm Ayr (ITV3)
Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup (Heritage Handicap)
6f, Flat Turf
9:58pm Parx (SKY/STREAM)
Cotillion Stakes (Grade 1)
1m½f, Dirt
10:48pm (SKY/STREAM)
Pennsylvania Derby (Grade 1)
1m1f, Dirt
SUNDAY
2:45pm Dortmund
142nd Deutsches St Leger (Group 3)
1m6f, Flat Turf
*All races above are listed in UK time.
Race Notes
9:14pm (Fri 18 Sept) Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes - Belmont Park
Belmont Park returns with a major race on Friday as the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup takes centre stage over a mile and a quarter. It is the 108th running of the famous Grade 1 and also carries a “Win and You’re In” place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland next month.
The star attraction is undoubtedly Forever Young. The Japanese five-year-old won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic and has also collected consecutive Saudi Cups, establishing himself as one of the best dirt horses in the world. He has not raced since finishing second to Magnitude in the Dubai World Cup nearly six months ago, so there is a slight question over how sharp he will be on his return.
Even so, on his best form he is very much the horse the others have to beat.
The biggest threat could come from Phileas Fogg, particularly now that some of the other early-speed horses have been scratched. He has won the Suburban Stakes twice over this distance and was particularly impressive last time, making all and winning by ten lengths at Saratoga. With Banishing and Chunk of Gold no longer in the race, there is a real possibility he could get an easier time on the lead than originally expected.
Baeza is another worth respecting. Last year's Pennsylvania Derby winner has regularly run well in major company, although he has often found one or two too good. His latest fourth behind Sovereignty and Nitrogen in the Whitney was below his best, but he has enough quality to get involved if returning to peak form.
Stars and Stripes arrives in good form but was comprehensively beaten by Phileas Fogg when they met over this distance, while Render Judgment faces a considerable rise in class.
Everything points towards Forever Young being the one to beat, but his long absence adds just enough uncertainty to make the race interesting. If Phileas Fogg is allowed to control things from the front, he could make the Japanese star work very hard for it.
🏆 Winner: Forever Young
⚠️ Main Danger: Phileas Fogg
👀 One to Watch: Baeza
Antepost Watch
This week’s Ante-Post Watch is better treated as a look at the big market movers for Saturday’s Ayr Gold Cup.
The strongest support has come for Binhareer, who is now the 4/1 market leader after being available at bigger prices of around 8/1 and 6/1 earlier in the betting. That is a significant move in a race as competitive as the Ayr Gold Cup.
Far Above Dream has also been well backed. He has shortened from as big as 16/1 into 8/1, putting him firmly among the leading contenders and making him another horse the market clearly expects to run a big race.
Another eye-catching mover is Twilight Calls, who has been cut from around 20/1 into 10/1. There is also an interesting jockey angle, with recent St Leger-winning rider Saffie Osborne booked to take the ride.
There is still time for the betting to move again before Saturday afternoon, but for now Binhareer, Far Above Dream and Twilight Calls are the three names attracting the strongest support and are well worth keeping an eye on as the Ayr Gold Cup approaches.
Racing Syndicates
For anyone interested in racehorse ownership, MyKingdomForAHorse.org has added a couple of useful features worth keeping an eye on.
The new Syndicate Finder brings together racing syndicates and ownership clubs in one place, making it easier to browse the different options available and see what might suit your budget and level of involvement.
There is also a dedicated New Horses page, featuring recently added horses and upcoming ownership opportunities. It is a useful way to see what is becoming available and keep track of new horses before shares start to fill.
You can explore the ownership options at MyKingdomForAHorse.org.
Betting Offers
Betfred is one of the best-known names in British betting, covering horse racing alongside a wide range of other sports.
For racing fans, Betfred offers markets across major UK, Irish and international meetings, from everyday cards through to the biggest races of the season. You can find win and each-way betting, ante-post markets and a range of other racing options.
Betfred also has a long association with British horse racing and currently sponsors several major races and meetings.
If you’re looking for another bookmaker to compare prices and racing markets, Betfred is well worth a look. New customers can also take advantage of a welcome offer when opening an account. T&Cs apply.
18+ Please gamble responsibly. #ad Need help? contact GambleAware.org
Racing News
Here are a few racing updates that caught the eye this week.
Racing Legends - Haru Urara
Horse racing has always celebrated champions. From Secretariat in America to Deep Impact in Japan, the names remembered are usually those who triumphed in the biggest races.
But every so often, a horse comes along who captures the public imagination for entirely different reasons.
Haru Urara was one of those rare cases. She became a legend not because she won, but because she never did.
Her losing streak of 113 races turned her into a national symbol in Japan,
Thanks for reading! Let’s catch up again next week.
Regards
The Newsletter Team
