Breeders’ Cup Day One: Osaila to get UK on the board for Frankie
Published:The stage is set, the Breeders’ Cup ‘World Championships’ (everything in the US is a ‘World Championship’, isn’t it?) looks like being an absolute cracker from Santa Anita.
The foreign raiders have travelled over to southern California in force, and with just shy of €25m in total prize money up for grabs, who can blame them.
But it’s not just connections that are chasing the big pots, as we look to highlight a few worth backing across the pond.
And while the action isn’t live on Channel 4, Ladbrokes are running their fantastic promotion, offering you a free bet when you back a winner at 4/1 or bigger.*
Hopefully this trio can make your (and Ladbrokes News’ Ben Stones’) Friday night a little bit more profitable.
Favourite Hootenanny may have been blistering over 5f at Royal Ascot, and decent over 6f in France, we simply have to take him on as he tackles 1m for the first time. Next in the market War Envoy looks totally exposed, so we are going for one at a bigger price that may have some improvement in him.
Chad Brown’s Startup Nationwas well fancied to go three races unbeaten when lining up in the Pilgrim Stakes. He endured a difficult run and didn’t lose much in finishing fourth, 3l behind Imperia when giving him 10lbs.
Having previously looked very exciting, we fancy him to reverse that form off level weights, and at a big price, has to be taken as an each-way bet.
If he can do what he did last year and blitz away from the start, victor in this race 12 months ago, Goldencents will be tough to beat.
But with there being little juice in the price, taking a dip into the unknown with Bronzo cannot be discouraged.
The Chilean raider hasn’t run since June, but that shouldn’t be taken as a negative, as he has won fresh in the past. He has been in California for a couple of months, so doesn’t have a long trip to get over either.
His last two runs yielded wins at 11f and 9f, the former an 11l demolition in a Group 1 contest, but he will certainly have the pace for a bare mile demonstrated in his easy win in the Gran Handicap de Chile.
We take a slightly more fancied runner under our wing in our last bet of the night, although not the jolly Sunset Glow, with no SP favourite ever winner this race.
Richard Hannon’s filly was 1 1/2l back in fifth in the Moyglare Stakes in September, form that has worked out extremely well. Runner-up that day Lucida won the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes next time out, while third place Found ran out a nice winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day.
She got back to winning ways last time out and is bred to appreciate this step up to a mile in California.
A good draw on ground she has shown she handles, could round our night of in style.
All odds and markets correct as of the date of publishing
