Tag: Taghrooda

Arc de Triomphe Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Group 1 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp is the big International race this weekend with a field of 20 set to go to post.

Many of the big names are missing including Derby winner Australia but there is a string of classic winners and Group 1 performers lining up. Taghrooda is almost favourite by default and there is a feeling that she may have peaked in mid-summer with her convincing King George win. That followed a comfortable success in the Epsom Oaks but she wasn’t her usual self when beaten by Tapestry in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Gosden will be hoping that the forecast for good ground is correct as the going has often turned soft at Longchamp in recent Arcs. That wouldn’t suit Taghrooda who has shown all of her form on good ground.

Prix Niel winner Ectot seems to be carrying plenty of confidence after winning on his first start for five months. If you are on at 50-1 that’s great but I wouldn’t be tempted at a miserly 6-1. I like French Oaks winner Avenir Certain who was an easy winner at Deauville last time out but this will be her first race at a mile and a half. Her dam did not really stay beyond seven furlongs and that just puts me off, especially if she is to be held up in such a big field.

I can’t have Treve at any price after a couple of mulish performances and I don’t believe that Ruler Of The World is any better than last year when seventh in the Arc de Triomphe. Frankie Dettori had things his own way in the Trial but this looks a lot tougher.

Surprisingly, the Japanese are yet to win this race but they have three fancied runners. I’m going to side with two of them. Just A Way was breath-taking when winning at Dubai in the spring and has had one warm-up race over a mile in soft ground. Connections admit that he is at his best over a mile and a quarter but he would certainly have stayed another couple of furlongs at Meydan.

Harp Star beat Gold Ship last time out and should defeat the grey again here. She was runner-up in the Japanese Oaks in May when she was given a ridiculous amount of ground to make up in the straight. I am worried about the tactics with her but hopefully they will keep her closer to the pace. The draw is always fascinating for the Arc and that could change the picture but I’m siding with the Japanese duo at the current prices.

Just A Way @7-1 Bet365

Harp Star @8-1 Bet365

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3 (non-runner no bet applies)

York Thursday Preview

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16-1 winner Dutch Connection gave Betcirca followers a great start to the Ebor meeting and Australia enhanced his reputation with a smooth win in the International Stakes.

The star of the show at York on Thursday is the unbeaten filly Taghrooda. Although I backed her at Epsom, I neglected her at Ascot last time in favour of an each-way bet on Mukhadram. She was very impressive in seeing off both he and Telescope and looks impossible to oppose in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Volume ran well in the Irish Oaks but a bigger threat may come from Aidan O’Brien’s Tapestry who was an unlucky second with a slipping saddle. Ryan Moore is aboard her and she could be the each-way bet but it will be a major surprise if Taghrooda is beaten.

When a horse wins for you at 25-1 it is very difficult not to invest in them next time. Sentimentality comes into it and I cannot ignore Red Avenger after his win at Glorious Goodwood. I backed him on a line through Abseil and their previous meeting at Epsom’s Derby meeting. Early on, things looked bleak for Red Avenger as he was shuffled back and it was a brilliant ride from Fortune to get him up to win.

He is only 3lbs higher at York but James Doyle has the ride. Another problem is that he is drawn 1 and does not possess a lot of early speed. Hopefully Doyle can keep him in touch just off the rail and deliver a challenge in the closing stages.

The early races look booked for the Richard Hannon stable with Kool Kompany and Tiggy Wiggy. Both have been on the go all season and don’t owe anyone a thing. Tiggy Wiggy was quite brilliant in the Newbury Super Sprint and I cannot oppose her, even against two Royal Ascot winners. There isn’t much value to be had with Kool Kompany on these weight terms and I’m going to have an each-way on Valley Of Fire.

William Haggas would not waste an entry unless he thought the colt was up to this class and he can improve on his course and distance win. The Galtres Stakes looks worth avoiding, although Haggas can go close again there with Arabian Comet. John Gosden could complete a memorable day by taking the closing handicap with Enraptured. She ran a lot better than her finishing position suggests behind Kosika last time and could be better value than Stoute’s Bragging.

1.55 Kool Kompany at 11-4 BetVictor

1.55 Valley Of Fire (each-way) at 8-1 Bet365

2.30 Tiggy Wiggy at 15-8 Paddy Power

3.05 Red Avenger (each-way) at 11-1 Coral

3.40 Tapestry (each-way) at 12-1 Coral

4.55 Enraptured (each way) at 16-1 Betfair

King George 2014 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A busy sporting weekend had its ups and downs for Betcirca followers. Tiggy Wiggy’s brilliant win at Newbury covered our expenses on the horses while Jim Furyk gave us a handsome each-way return at odds of 70-1 in the British Open.

The racing is poor this week before the big Ascot card on Saturday featuring the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. I take it that it is no longer sponsored by the Oppenheimer family as the “Diamond” seems to have been removed.

The favourite is Sir Michael Stoute’s Telescope after slaughtering his rivals at Royal Ascot by seven lengths. There is a real sense of deja-vu about this horse as he is trying to repeat Harbinger’s victory in 2010 in the same colours. No sooner had Highclere believed that they had the best horse in the world than he was injured and packaged off to stud. There have been some strange King George’s in recent years and that was certainly one of them with Derby and Arc winner Workforce running a total stinker.

Telescope has been built up and knocked down a couple of times already in his short career. He was always struggling to make the Derby line-up last year and Stoute eventually gave up the ghost and then defended his charge after a shock defeat at Haydock. You would have thought that a nine length defeat at the hands of Noble Mission would have put paid to the “wonder horse” treatment but we are back here again after Ascot.

We will never know what John Gosden thought of Sheikh Hamdan’s decision to pull Taghrooda out of the Irish Oaks on Sunday but I’m guessing that he was not best pleased. JG now has three runners here if the supplemented Eagle Top and Derby third Romsdal take their places. All of the evidence suggests that Taghrooda would have won at the Curragh and she has a big chance here. Eagle Top needs to come out and prove that it was no fluke at Ascot while Romsdal looked more of a Leger horse at Epsom.

A more likely threat to the favourite is Mukhadram after his well-deserved Eclipse victory. This will be his first start over a mile and a half but he has every chance of getting it. He settled well at Sandown and there could well be pacemakers in here which will give him a good lead. You would just worry about the last furlong or so. The bookies aren’t giving much away with the front two so it may be worth going each-way Mukhadram at 12-1.

Mukhadram @12-1 BetVictor

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3