Racing Post Trophy Tips & Betting Preview

A quick look in to the past tells us that some pretty decent horses have taken this Group One contest including Authorized, St Nicholas Abbey, Camelot, Kingston Hill, Elm Park, and most recently Marcel, so it takes a good horse to come home in front. Aidan O’Brien has taken this three times now and looks to be after a fourth with plenty of early entries, but all the money has been for Yucatan (6/5) who arrives here after finishing second to stable companion Capri at The Curragh in the Group Two Beresford Stakes. A well bred son of (you guessed it) Galileo out of Six Perfections he is certainly expected to be pretty special but only has a maiden win to his name so far over a mile at The Curragh but there are whispers of spectacular gallops though at this prove he can’t be seen as any value and is not for us on rumour alone.

Looking at the ratings and Dewhurst Stakes flop Rivet (11/2) comes out on top though why they are considering running him again so quickly is anybody’s guess unless they feel they are on a reputation retrieval mission. He did look a bit once paced over the seven furlongs that day and may be better suited by a mile this afternoon, and if we ignore that run he does bring some decent form to the table. After taking his maiden at York he ran on strongly over seven furlongs to take the Group Two Champagne Stakes here at Doncaster by a head from Thunder Snow and frankly disappointed last time (when weak in the market) and may be worth giving another chance this afternoon.

Trainer David Elsworth likes causing an upset now and then as witnessed by the success of 50/1 shot Arabian Queen who beat Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International last season. He has Sir Dancealot (9/1) entered here and seems pretty keen on the chances of the son of Sir Prancealot despite the big step up in class. Last time out he ran at York in the Listed Rockingham Stakes which he won by three quarters of a length which followed a third to Larchmont Lad in the Group Three Somerville Stakes at Newmarket and much as all the World loves a trier, we just can’t see him improving enough to take a hand here though on paper we do admit it doesn’t look the strongest ever renewal.

Godolphin would have had any number of possibles to send here yet they rely on Bay Of Poets (33/1) yet he looks a no hoper – so do they know something the rest of us don’t? After a last of six on his debut he took his maiden at Kempton before finishing last of eight to Best Of Days in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket. On that form he has a snowballs chance in hell but he must be showing something on tee gallops and we are wary of being brave enough to write him off entirely just in case.

To end with, Brian Meehan is always worthy of a second look and he has Raheen House (25/1) in here as the maiden winner looks to take a leap up in class. He was more dour than exciting at York but scored by a length and three quarters and we wonder if they might be tempted to let him tow them along to bring his potential stamina in to play and try to bun off some of his speedier rivals?