Talking Horses: Latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing ...

The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog

There?s some exotic racing around the world today, including the German St Leger at Dortmund (Fox Hunt runs for Mark Johnston and Silvestre de Sousa) and a couple of Grade Ones at Woodbine in Canada.

I don?t think I?ve ever had a bet on a Canadian race but tonight?s the night because Wigmore Hall (9.34) runs in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes.

This will be the fifth different country in which Michael Bell?s four-year-old has raced this year and he has still not been sighted in Britain since last year?s Champion Stakes, despite being trained in Newmarket.

He has run some fine races, as when third in the Dubai Duty Free and fourth in the Arlington Million. He was ridden for the first time in Chicago by Hayley Turner, who gave him a terrific ride until the turn for home. At that point, it seemed to me, she hesitated fractionally too long when the time came to make a move and suddenly they had nowhere to go. They finished best of all when finally in the clear and were unlucky not to be second at least. Jamie Spencer, who won the Million on Cape Blanco, is back in the saddle this time.

Wigmore Hall looks like the outstanding talent in tonight?s race (won last year by the Barry Hills-trained Redwood) and is bred to cope well with the step up to 12 furlongs. Betfair?s market hasn?t settled down yet but I hope to get 6-4 and perhaps better will be on offer.

Coolminx, winner of Ayr?s Bronze Cup two days ago, has been taken out of the sprint handicap at Hamilton, leaving the runner-up from that race, Jeannie Galloway, with a fair chance of compensation.

At 5-1, I prefer Amitola (3.40), who was stuffed in her first two starts of the year but did much better last time and has come good at this time of year in the past two seasons. She is only 1lb higher than when winning a more valuable race at Newmarket last September.

Jump racing returns to Britain after a 10-day break and the quality on offer will gradually begin to improve until the core season comes along in a couple of months.

One thing to look out for is the return to the saddle of Noel Fehily, out since December with a wrist injury after enjoying great success on some of Paul Nicholls? horses that autumn. He?s in a couple of handicap hurdles at Plumpton.

At Uttoxeter, 4-1 is better than I expected about a promising young horse with David Pipe, Taratata Sivola (3.50). He had been struggling around Auteuil but won on his British debut at Market Rasen last month. Perhaps he prefers decent ground (it was almost always deep at Auteuil when he ran there) or perhaps he?s just taken time to mature. Either way, he is likely to be ahead of the handicapper.

Click here for all the day?s racecards, form, stats and results.

And post your racing-related comments below.

Sport: Sportblog | guardian.co.uk

Source: http://www.daily-play.com/talking-horses-latest-news-and-best-bets-in-our-daily-horse-racing-blog-6/

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