HORSE RACING journalist and new contributor Gaurav Chaddah (@gchaddahjourno) picks out his best bet from Thursday's card.
4:10pm Salisbury | Sovereign Stakes
There is a rare midweek group race at Salisbury on Thursday as six colts and geldings will contest over a mile for the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes.
The race has been dominated in the past by Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon, who have each won three of the last six runnings. The pair both go for glory again with Balding fielding South Seas and Hannon running veteran Oh This is Us.
The betting however suggests their chances are limited with the Mark Johnston trained Elarqam a short-priced favourite. But is he beatable?
The three-year-old’s fourth in the 1000 Guineas is no doubt the best piece of form on offer but since then he was a poor sixth in the Irish equivalent and could only manage third when upped in trip in the Group 2 York Stakes.
He hasn’t won since his two-year-old days, where he was successful in the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket, and looks like he’s a horse who likes ground to be on the softer side – something he may not get.
Plumatic is a four-year-old who is being sent over from France and seems to be a horse improving quickly, having won easily when raced at a mile for the first-time last month. He is trained by Andre Fabre who is always to be respected when sending runners over to England, and was beaten by a nose by Recoletos in a Group 3 in September (Recoletos has since become a Group 1 winner).
Plumatic is the pick here at 7/2 (Betfair).
Best Bets
4:10 Salisbury- Plumatic (7/2 Betfair)
