It’s a jam-packed Sunday’s racing with no less than seven meetings scheduled across Britain and Ireland. With such a plethora of action in prospect, our racing expert has aimed to narrow down the cards by identifying five to look out for. Check this out, alongside an exclusive promotion courtesy of bet365, which is offering £50 In Free Bets to new customers, when you sign-up and bet £10.
Lady Eros – 2.46 Newbury (Coln Valley Stud Bridget Maiden Fillies’ Stakes)
No form to go off in any of the first three Newbury races results in some pedigree searching in an attempt to find the winners, and there’s an eye-catching prospect making her racecourse debut in the form of John & Thady Gosden’s LADY EROS.
This filly cost $345,000 as a yearling and one glance into her pedigree shows quite why connections had to fork out that sum, with Lady Eros a close relation to a number of black-type horses.
This daughter of War Front is a sister to Aidan O’Brien’s former Middle Park fourth King Neptune, and it’s a family that the Gosden’s know well, having trained sister Faydhan. Cieren Fallon is booked, and the market should provide a good guide on what to expect.
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Melon – 3.30 Cork (BARONERACING.COM Chase)
We’re firmly in the last knockings of the 2021/22 Jumps season, but there’s an opportunity to catch a top-class National Hunt horse in action at Cork on Sunday as MELON takes to Cork for their 3m Grade 3 chase.
Willie Mullins gelding has been the bridesmaid in some of the biggest races; four-time Cheltenham Festival runner-up and third in both the Savills Chase and the John Durkan. In fact, it’s simply incredible to think that Melon hasn’t managed to score at Grade 1 level, and now a 10yo, it could be that his opportunity to score at the top level has now passed.
Despite this, however, Melon gained a deserved victory in the Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran in February, and that brought his hurdles/chase form figures below Grade 1 level to an impressive 113211. He aims to enhance that when taking up an engagement in Grade 3 company at Cork on Sunday afternoon, and despite having to concede upwards of 8lb to the remainder of the field he remains the one that they all have to beat.
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Hafit – 3.56 Newbury (Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup British EBF Conditions Stakes)
Currently trading at an industry best price of 50/1 for the Epsom Derby later this season, HAFIT takes his first steps on the road to Classic glory when he lines up in a 1m2f conditions race at Newbury on Saturday.
Charlie Appleby’s colt took a Newmarket maiden on debut last August before going on to finish second in Listed company at Haydock, and then a close-up third in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket on his final juvenile outing.
This represents a drop-in class for Hafit on seasonal reappearance, and it’s worth remembering that this chap cost 2.1m guineas as a yearling, so it’s quite possible that the very best wouldn’t have been expected until his 3yo campaign and beyond. Both trainer and jockey have made an incredible start to the turf campaign, and with upwards of 8lb in hand on these terms, Hafit can be backed with confidence to continue that run with victory on Sunday.
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Midnights Legacy – 4.35 Plumpton (Betting.Bet Sussex Champion Hurdle Handicap Hurdle)
This year’s Sussex Champion Hurdle looks like a cracking race, with the presence of classy Flat operator MIDNIGHTS LEGACY in the line-up adding further intrigue to the affair.
Alan King’s charge is one of just a handful of Jumps horses in training that has remained an entire, with connections probably resisting giving the cruellest cut of all due to the ability this 5yo has shown on the Flat, where he currently holds a 95 rating.
Midnights Legacy was making his first start hurdling for just under 17 months when shrugging off a mark of 117 in impressive style, which his Flat rating admittedly entitled him to do, at Ludlow 20 days ago. The manner of that victory suggests an 8lb rise is far from insurmountable, particularly with these ground conditions firmly in Midnights Legacy’s favour, and he retains a fair chuck of scope for improvement over hurdles compared with the majority of these rivals.
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Galopin Des Champs – 4.55 Fairyhouse (BoyleSports Gold Cup Novice Chase)
Despite all of the names mentioned above, however, all eyes are expected to be on Fairyhouse at 4:55pm when GALOPIN DES CHAMPS bids to gain redemption for last month’s final fence Cheltenham Festival tumble.
Galopin Des Champs was well in control when making that blunder, cruising away from the classy dual Grade 1 winner Bob Olinger. Whilst connections would understandably have been disappointed by that Festival tumble, they would have been happy to see Galopin Des Champs walk away unscathed and in the long run, the fall may knock some of the exuberance out of Galopin Des Champs’ jumping.
Galopin Des Champs lines up in Sunday’s BoyleSports Gold Cup, where the intermediate 2m4f distance is expected to prove ideal, and the main opposition looks set to come from Master McShee, a horse that Galopin Des Champs slammed by 9l at the Dublin Racing Festival earlier this season.
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