HISS OF LIFE
Eagle Top to swoop and burst Horn’s bubble
THE Flat season’s midsummer highlight takes place today at Ascot with the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The race pitches the best of this year’s Classic generation against their elders.
There is only one three-yearold this year but it’s the best one. Golden Horn is looking to become the first horse since Nashwan in 1989 to win the Derby, Eclipse and King George in the same season.
He has also added the Betfred Dante to his roll of honour this year and has been mentioned in Mark Pearson looks at today’s King George the same breath as Sea The Stars and Frankel.
He has a long way to go to emulate those turf stars but Golden Horn is rapidly climbing the ladder to greatness and another good performance in victory will only enhance his burgeoning reputation. But, for me, he is a little on the short side in terms of price at 1-2 and there is plenty of eachway value lurking in the betting.
One of those is his stablemate Eagle Top (right). He finished fourth in last year’s renewal and was second in a rough
PEARSON’S THERE is no love lost between Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright who meet in the semi-final of tonight’s BetVictor World Matchplay Darts.
Wright beat van Gerwen in a brilliant semi-final in Japan recently but is 4-1 to reach a first Matchplay final.
That looks too big despite the occasional brilliance of Mighty Mike.
Van Gerwen has the aura of a man who believes he is unbeatable and will want to win well. But “Snakebite” has quietly gone about his work and I believe we could see something very special this evening.
We bet 12-1 there is a nine-darter in the match (MvG 14s/Wright 33s if you want to back them individually) and I would be staggered if we got through to the end of the tournament without a perfect leg.
It promises to be a classic but Wright with a 5.5 leg handicap at even-money is the recommendation, although the eye is still drawn to the 4-1 for Wright to upset the odds and reach tomorrow’s final.
Chelsea meet Arsenal in the Community Shield next weekend but they are in action in North Carolina tonight when they meet PSG. Jose Mourinho is looking for an improved defensive display having conceded four against the New York Red Bulls earlier in the week.
The Blues are 13-10 to beat PSG (19-10) who knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League on away goals last season.
BetVictor are global betting partners of Chelsea and we are getting right behind the PL champions this term. One of the most popular pre-season bets we have taken is the 7-1 for Chelsea to remain unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in the league. It’s now into 5-1 but the Blues have only lost one of 95 PL home games under Mourinho. International Stakes where Ed Walker’s Bushcraft bids to follow up his recent Newcastle win and make it a sixth career victory from just eight starts.
But in the soft ground, Suzi’s Connoisseur could go well at a big price.
There is excellent racing up at York where David O’Meara’s Custom Cut could take some beating at a course he likes in the Group Two York Stakes.