Andrew Balding’s South Seas is vying to win the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes which runs at 3.30 this afternoon. With three runs and three wins under their belts, South Seas will again be ridden by Oisin Murphy who takes to this familiar course to endeavour to beat Aidan O’Brien’s two horses, one of which is today’s course favourite. Odds on South Seas are a very respectable 9/1 with Bet365.
Churchill, ridden by Ryan Moore is the favourite, out of his five races he’s won four and been placed third in one. He is in tiptop shape and with Moore riding him you can understand why he’s the bookies favourite. He has odds today of 4/6 with William Hill. It has to be said that O’Brien has some top horses in Ballydoyle. Not really rated by the bookies today with odds of 125/1 with Coral is O’Brien’s second horse Lancaster Bomber, he’s had mixed fortunes in his last four races with one win and the other results are fourth place or fifth. Ridden today by Colm O'Donoghue, this is his first ride on this horse so it could be a completely clever ploy by O’Brien to pair these two up, you may see an epic win, remember he’s running with his stable mate Churchill, he’s used to running on the gallops with him. This is where O’Brien differs from so many other trainers, in pairing his horses up, the familiar smell of each other, they know each other’s habits and often, like the other day for example, they stick together and are placed. What a clever trainer he is!
Charlie Appleby’s Blue Point is second in the favourite’s, with five races under his belt and three wins, two placed and Appleby is on form at the moment. Odds for Blue Pint this morning are 9/1 with Paddy Power.
There are only seven runners in this race today and the stakes are high with winnings totalling £283,550 which is not too shabby, but it’s a step up for some of these horses, with seven furlongs to run. The ground conditions have changed overnight and the going is now good which will suit some more than others. Whatever happens, this is again going to be one to watch for the future. Lots of other racing around today, so Good Luck.