Daily Racing Tips: Longchamp special!

Carl Harris’ Daily Racing Tips / Carl Harris / 04 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

"Sea The Stars (3.15) is no price @ [1.78], the value has long since gone, but the race is of huge significance. Should he win then, for me, he will be the best horse of all time. I am not saying Sea The Stars is a certainty, but one thing is for sure he is the best horse in the race, by quite some way."

Racing romantic Carl Harris just wants to witness Sea The Stars making history at Longchamp, but along the way he'll be having a few bets. And they're all here

I have backed Sea The Stars for the Arc, at a decent price, when his run was in the balance, so I don't have to worry about lumping on at skinny prices. I have watched, read and listened to the racing media over the last few days and am honestly staggered by some of what I have read, heard and seen. There seems to be some people who just want to see Sea The Stars get beaten and have gone in to great detail with reasons as to how and why that could happen, most of which are clutching very firmly at straws.

Sea The Stars (3.15) is no price @ [1.78], the value has long since gone, but the race is of huge significance. Should he win then, for me, he will be the best horse of all time. I am not saying Sea The Stars is a certainty, but one thing is for sure he is the best horse in the race, by quite some way. He dismissed Fame and Glory in the Irish Champion and drew away from Conduit in the Eclipse.

Having seen Goldikova get beaten, after chasing a suicidal early pace, it is clear that anything can happen at Longchamp. Mick Kinane is not going to get sucked into a foolish ride but in such a big field he will need a degree of luck to avoid traffic problems. There are also the idiotic French rules and stewards who enforce them to contend with, which as we saw with Dar Re Mi is a consideration.

There is always the worry that Sea The Stars has had a long season, but he looked fresh as a daisy when ambling past a quality field to land his fifth Group One of the year last time out.

Other horses represent good value, but what value has a losing bet? I think Sea The Stars will win to crown a simply fantastic season. Conduit is a solid place bet, at odds against there is some value there, but Sea The Stars for me is the winner. I have laid Fame and Glory.

The Prix De L'Abbaye is dominated by British runners with Fleeting Spirit a short price. I will be backing Borderlescott (12.45) win and place to follow up on his Nunthorpe victory. Neil Callan made a big difference last time and this horse represents an excellent each-way proposition.

The card at Longchamp is simply stunning with six Group One races. Dick Turpin (1.55) can crown another exceptional season for the Hannon juveniles by winning the Grand Criterium. Unbeaten in four starts he has shown great speed and should land a fifth - and a first Group One - with Richard Hughes aboard.

It would be very fitting for Yeats (4.45) to close a wonderful career with a win in the Prix Du Cadran, a race in which he has a poor record. The difference this year is the ground. The going is good and that is key to Yeats. It may be too much to ask for Sea The Stars and Yeats to both win, but Yeats is worth backing with the going in his favour.

Carl Harris' Best Bets for Sunday, October 4 at Longchamp...

12.45 Borderlescott, Win and Place @ [7.6] and [2.38]
1.55 Dick Turpin, Win @ [2.72]
3.15 Sea the Stars Win (NAP) @ [1.78]
3.15 Conduit, Place @ [2.6]
3.15 Fame and Glory, Lay @ [9.4]
4.45 Yeats, Win @ [5.0]