Author: Scott

Credit: AFP

The UK online sports betting industry is resurging rapidly with the return of professional sports. From football and horse racing to golf and cricket, most sports leagues are back in action, giving a much-needed economic boost to the bookmaking sector.

The online betting industry was brought to its knees in March after a regional lockdown forced all sports leagues to break. What followed next was a series of desperate measures as betting sites tried to remain active without sports.

Some bookies went as far as to offer to bet on the weather, extremely minor sports like marble racing and politics. With the return of sports in May, online betting has been recovering pretty well.

Betting Action has Doubled

The latest data from the Gambling Commission shows that real sports betting has doubled from two million bettors in April to four million in August. This information was drawn from the UK’s biggest online betting sites, which control 80% of the market. It focuses on players who wager real event sports like football, hockey, and tennis.

Although it will take time for the betting industry to gain momentum, it is nearly as active as it was in February, one month before the sports industry went on a hiatus. Back then, the UKGC reported 4.6 million active punters, 600,000 more players than the present figures.

With British sports set for a new season this September, there’s no doubt online betting action will increase. Nearly every sport will have returned, and that will motivate more punters to get back to betting.

Longer Betting Sessions

British punters have been staying longer on betting sites than they did in March. This is due to the limited number of betting markets, forcing people to take more time to find excellent wagering opportunities.

In March, roughly 1.5 million online bettors spent at least one hour before they wagered on sports. By June, this figure had increased to nearly two million people. With that in mind, the average punter takes 21-26 minutes to place a bet.

Bettors take more time on bookie apps when there are fewer sports to bet on. In contrast, they take less time when there’s an abundance of wagering markets. That means the number of people who take over an hour to bet will reduce as more sports leagues resume.

GGY Has Tripled Since April

The Gross Gambling Yield has more than tripled between April and August. In April, British bettors wagered £62 million. The figure rose to £101 in May and then doubled to £217 million in June (115% growth).

Taking a look at the best betting sites, the total income of real event betting in June 2020 is twice that of March 2019, even though sports were disrupted by a pandemic this year. According to experts, this can be attributed to the sector’s overall growth in the past year.

A Huge Uptick of Sports Fixtures

Many sports leagues around the world have figured ways to resume despite nationwide lockdowns. Between May and August, nearly every major league in Britain returned, albeit with tons of restrictions.

Most sports leagues returned without fans. They also rolled out a series of safety measures to protect players and staff members. And in doing so, they create a secure environment to host matches every week.

The resumption of European football and North American sports was a boon to the industry. It helped expand punters betting opportunities and, thus, revenues for online betting websites.

Sports fixtures are bound to increase this fall as more leagues like the NFL  commence. It will also mark the start of a new season for most sports leagues in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Free Sports Coverage

When sports came back in May, TV networks offered to broadcast a variety of matches free. This boosted viewership for sports even though there had been some resistance from people who wanted sports to be delayed further.

With more coverage came plenty of information for sports bettors. In turn, this fastened the recovery of online betting. Crucially, many bookies also rolled out streaming services and offered tools to help people predict sports more accurately.

You can find statistics and historical data for many football clubs at your favorite betting website. That means you don’t need a second site to help you get this information.  Add a streaming service, and the average bookie has become a TV, bookmaker, and tipster.

The Triple Crown Race is one of the most anticipated horse races in North America. This event is divided into three races: the Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes. However, because of the global pandemic, there were some changes in the traditional flow of events.

 

When the Belmont Stakes came to a finish last June 20, 2020, the industry locked eyes on their new sets of favourites. These young Thoroughbreds are then again set to compete in the Triple Crown event’s remaining two races. The next race is the Kentucky Derby that will take place on September 5, and the concluding event will be the Preakness Stakes.

 

For 145 years, the Preakness Stakes was never postponed even with the global depression and two world wars. This year, horse racers are excited to participate in a different flow of events as the Preakness Stake becomes their last lifeline to win the Triple Crown trophy. With that, here are some of the finest Thoroughbred that will be racing on the Preakness.

 

Tiz the Law

From Sackatoga Stable, Tiz the Law is one of the strongest Preakness Stakes contenders. He was the winner of this year’s Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. He is this year’s most trending horse, emerging champion in all of his races in 2020. Though the Preakness Stake is still months away, many are rooting for this colt to win the Triple Crown.

 

Dr. Post

Coming in second in the Belmont Stakes, Dr. Post is now just one spot away from victory. This three-year-old colt is one of the crowd’s favourites. Always finishing strong, Dr. Post has a beautiful record in the tracks. Todd Pletcher, Dr. Post’s trainer, is confident that Dr. Post has all the quality needed to emerge victorious in the Triple Crown events.

 

Max Player

This magnificent colt is an engine in the tracks under the supervision of Steven Asmussen, a renowned horse trainer. Max Player has already raced against Tiz the Law in the Belmont and Travers Stakes in which he placed 3rd place in both events. However, don’t underestimate this one, horse racing analysts believe that with a strategy, he might have the chance to win.

 

Sole Volante

Sole Volante is a veteran in the tracks, which has also competed against the colts mentioned above. This three-year-old Gelding has won the majority of his races in his entire career. Not much of a crowd favourite, Sole Volante has shown promising performances in his exercise routines. So, don’t forget to consider betting on this one in the upcoming Preakness Stakes.

 

Authentic

Authentic has emerged first in 4 out of 5 races in his entire career, so everyone is excited to see this young colt in the bigger leagues. His recent win in Monmouth Park on July 18 quickly made him one of the crowd’s favourites. Moreover, his chances are high for the nearing Kentucky Derby, and the challenge is maintaining these wins until the Preakness Stakes.

 

Modernist

There is no mistake that Modernist is one of the favourites in the Kentucky Derby, but will he be able to maintain this crowd until the conclusion of the Triple Crown? Modernist is a veteran in the dirt tracks and has the endurance for longer lengths on the road. Remember to keep an eye on this colt as he might surprise you in the Preakness Stakes.

 

Storm the Court

Storm the Court might have the longest record of races in this batch. This young colt’s pedigree is geared on grass more than dirt, but his trainers believe that he can beat the odds again. Storm the Court is famous for winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in Santa Anita after sprinting to the front at the last minute with an odds of 45 to 1.

 

Art Collector

Art Collector was a controversial horse when he tested positive for levamisole (a deworming agent), so he was stripped of his winning. He was able to revive his reputation when he won first in the Ellis Park Derby on August 9. Today, he will be joining the Kentucky Derby with hopes to dominate the track until the Preakness Stakes.

 

Thousand Words

Thousand Words rose to the ranks of trending horses after winning the Shared Belief Stakes recently on August 1. Trained by Bob Baffert, Thousand Words have an excellent record in racing in the dirt tracks. He is also a Kentucky Derby favourite, but will he be able to maintain this clean record until the Preakness Stakes this October?

 

Takeaway

The Preakness Stakes is still far away, so you can still observe and switch from one favourite to another. Be sure to stay updated and read the news, paper, and internet for changes. To better your odds and improve your chances of winning in the Preakness, stay tuned, and witness the Kentucky Derby this September.

Last year, Gary Woodland celebrated with fans after winning the US Open at Pebble Beach, California. This year, the tournament will have a very different feel to it. Usually the third major of the year, due to the coronavirus pandemic putting paid to so much sporting action, it will be the second – and played in September, rather than June. The 120^th edition of the US Open will also be held at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York – for the first time since 2006. And of course, there will be no fans in attendance. But at this early stage, who do the betting odds on golf US open favour?

Rory McIlroy (9/1)

The early favourite for the US Open is Northern Irishman, Rory McIlroy. Nine years ago, he won the tournament at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland – but has failed to win a major title since 2014. Last year, McIlroy finished T9, but the US Open hasn’t been a happy hunting ground in recent years – with the four-time major winner missing the halfway cut in the previous three editions of the competition. There are question marks over whether or not McIlroy can still challenge for the top prizes – despite being ranked 3^rd in the PGA Tour.

Brooks Koepka (10/1)

Ranked 6^th in the PGA world rankings, Brooks Koepka is no stranger to victory at the US Open – winning the major in successive years: 2017 and 2018. Sadly, there was no heroic hat-trick last year, although he did win a major title, in the PGA Championship. He’ll also be looking to make it a third successive win in the Championship which is already underway. Having been ravaged by knee injuries and struggles last season, the former world number one will be hoping to be back to his best, despite the pressures of winning another major.

Dustin Johnson (10/1)

The American recently pulled out of the 3M Open in Minnesota, citing a back injury, after hitting three balls into the water and propping up the table. However, he’s one of the early favourites to win the US Open and the golfer, ranked 5^th in the PGA Tour will be looking to add to the title he won back in 2016 – his only major win to date. Last season, he made it two top 10 finishes in major tournaments, and won the WGC-Mexico Championship. He’ll need to shake off any niggling injuries, beginning with a good performance in the PGA Championship.

Jon Rahm (12/1)

He may have recently been toppled to 2^nd place in the PGA world rankings, but Jon Rahm is consistently one of the bookies’ favourites in all major competitions. The 25-year-old may still be searching for that elusive first major title, but he won the Memorial Tournament last month, taking his professional wins to 11. Rahm’s best finish in the US Open came last year, when he came T3 and if he wants to regain his position at the top of the rankings, another good showing at Winged Foot will be required – although he has hinted that he believes the world rankings will change hands frequently over the coming months.

Upon the advent of the pandemic that shook many businesses including the betting industry, bettors need to be assured. It goes beyond mentioning that this assurance is a good betting agent. So, the question becomes which betting agent? Is it simply the most consistent betting agent? The one that constantly strives to provide solutions specially curved for bettors? Or, maybe, the one that offers accounts at the best bookies with the highest odds and limits? All these qualities are essential, especially in these tough times and they all lead specifically to BET-IBC, the best betting agent for asian bookies, as they are commonly known. They offer accounts at various betting establishments and most particularly on the popular betting platform of VIP-IBC, which is their flagship product.

Figure 1: BET-IBC -The best betting agent

BET-IBC’s offers

Through them, you will be able to bet primarily on VIP-IBC, where you will have offers from many bookmakers in a single account. Bookmakers like Pinnacle, PS3838, Sbobet, Maxbet, Betfair, Betdaq, Betisn, Matchbook, Orbit Exchange, as well as Skype betting for high rollers. And the list could go on. These offers make them suitable for all types of bettors, beginners, professionals and high rollers.

VIP-IBC is highly appreciated by many bettors for the number of sports it offers along with these two additional features:

• eSports
• Accumulators for combo bets.

Furthermore, through the Skype betting account they offer, it is possible to make high volume bets even on minor leagues. Above all, the methods for deposits and withdrawals are trivial for us all especially when it comes to the safety and security of our transactions and personal information.

To top it all up, after verification, people tend to notice that their methods are very reliable and their clients will be able to make withdrawals without problems. The wide range of secured payment methods include: skrill, neteller, ecopayz, cryptocurrencies and bank transfers. Check their page to know the different ways to fund your betting account via BET-IBC. Their flexibility is also amply displayed through the many additional services offered along with the spontaneous online support in many languages. It is particularly advisable to open betting accounts via agents due to this particular characteristic of customer service in languages that are not always included in the relevant support departments of the betting establishments themselves.

Clearly, not all agents are as flexible or offer customer service in more than 5 languages. However, BET-IBC does. You can browse their site which is available in languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian and 26 more. You can reach them anytime via online chat or their contact page. Hurry up, open an account and give us feedback. Happy betting!

Usually at this time of year, the flat season is in full swing and we’re coming to the final legs of the British Classics. But this year, the season is all askew, with racing suspended since March 17^th as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we finally have races to look forward to. With Newcastle kicking things off at the beginning of the month, the page to access racing results will soon be full to the brim once more. Let’s take a look at some of the ones to watch as the season restarts.

Albigna

Named as one of the best European juvenile fillies last year, with three wins from five starts, the Jessica Harrington-trained horse is the favourite for the Irish 1,000 Guineas on June 12^th. Having won on her debut at the Curragh last May, Albigna went on to win the Airlie Stud Stakes, before winning on her fourth outing, claiming the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp, Paris. Sadly, for Harrington, she won’t be in attendance at the Curragh to see if her three-year-old filly can come good, with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) guidelines stating that no trainer over the age of 70 will be permitted to attend races at this time.

Brentford Hope

One race, one win – that is the record of Richard Hughes’ three-year-old colt. It was an easy five-length victory at Newmarket last October, with Jamie Spencer in the saddle. Brentford Hope will be Hughes’ biggest hope at the Irish Oaks at the Curragh later on this month and before the suspension of horse racing, Hughes reported his horse was in good form but without a possible run-out before June 27^th, time will tell if Hughes has a superstar on his hands.

Kew Gardens

It was success for father-and-son team, trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Donnacha O’Brien on British Champions Day last year – with Kew Gardens winning the Long-Distance Cup at Ascot. It was by the slightest of margins over rival Stradivarius with the colt winning by a nose. There’s no doubt that the two will meet again throughout the course of the season, beginning with a possible entry in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The five-year-old has a number of other notable victories to his name, not least the St. Leger Stakes (Doncaster) and Grand Prix de Paris (Longchamp) – both in 2018. Given O’Brien’s success in the sport, Kew Gardens will be one to watch in all the big-name races.

Pinatubo

Charlie Appleby’s three-year-old is the highest-rated juvenile for 25 years, and with six wins from six starts, there are big things to come for the colt. Currently entered into the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Irish Derby at the Curragh, as well as the Epsom Derby, Pinatubo has impressed with a quick run-out at Chelmsford, where Appleby said: “We are delighted with the way he has strengthened and I think people will be pleasantly surprised by what they see on Saturday week.”

Quadrilateral

The daughter of legendary horse Frankel, Quadrilateral was unbeaten last season and was named as one of the highest-rated fillies in Europe. Winning the Maiden Stakes at Newbury on her debut last August, the three-year-old went on to win the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket by a head, after overtaking Powerful Breeze in the final strides. There’s a lot to get excited about and it’s believed that Quadrilateral will make the step-up and reach the high expectations thrusted upon her. She’s an early entry for the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks, both at the Curragh.

Horse Betting is one of the most exciting gambling games you can participate in. You can enjoy the thrill of the race as well as the immediate and fast result of wins. Among the many horse racing events out there, the much anticipated 2020 Belmont Stakes will be finally happening on June 6th in Elmont, New York. Expect plenty of action and handsome payouts in this horse race.

 

When betting involves a lot of fun, it can also be challenging. To help you with this dilemma, we have compiled an easy to digest guide for the upcoming Belmont Stakes participants. Here are several tips and information to bet appropriately and get that exciting win.

 

What Is the Belmont Stake?

The Belmont Stakes is the oldest horse race that first occurred way back in 1867. The Belmont Stakes is a part of the Triple Crown race series and usually becomes the final event of the race series.  In the Belmont Stakes, winners take huge prizes, and most names will be placed on history boards.

 

The Belmont Stakes is often called the Test of the Champion due to its race length of almost 2 miles. The race distance is longer than the well-known Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby events, making it all the more challenging for competitors. Additionally, Belmont Stakes are usually held three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after The Kentucky Derby, a truly challenging event for competitors as these events are close to one another.

 

Betting Variations

Betting on a horse racing event is exciting and unique because of its betting variations. There are several ways to bet in this type of gamble, but the popular betting types are Straight and Exotic bets.

 

Straight bets are simple bets which are categorized as Win, Place, and Show wagers. Win wagers are the most straightforward bet, and you only pick the horse who will take the championship while the Place wager will let you bet whose horse will take first or second place. Meanwhile, the Show wager predicts who will take the first, second, and third places.

 

Naturally, the biggest bet you can take is the Win wager, while the Place and Show wagers offer better odds of winning.

 

Exotic Bets are harder bets with bigger risks and even bigger payouts. The gist is to predict the horses that would finish in specific places. Categories of this bet variation include Quiniela, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta.

 

Quiniela wager is an exotic wager with slightly better odds than the rest. It requires you to pick horses that would either finish in first or second place. As long as these horses place first or second, your winning bet would be in the safe spot.

 

Exacta is a much tricky wager with better payouts than Quiniela. It would still require you to pick possible first and second place competitors, but it has to be in the exact order. Meaning, you must also delegate which horse would win the first and second place, respectively.

 

The exotic bets with the most payouts are the Trifecta that requires correct predictions of the first three horses to win the race and the Superfecta that picks the first four finishing horses in the exact order of their win. Exotic wagers need the best bets and luck to take the winning prize.

 

Betting Tips

With these variations of wagers, it is up to you to pick the best wager type. Check out factors to avoid impulse betting and maximize your odds of winning the bet.

Avoid the Favorites

This tip does not imply to avoid fan-favorite competitors in the race. This tip encourages you to discover other horses to bet on. Bear in mind that past winners in Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby does not guarantee a win in the Belmont Stakes.

 

Get to know and discover other competitors in the field and bet small wagers on them. Bet as much as you can in different variations to get more possible wins.

 

Jockeys and Equestrians

Some may think that the best horse wins the race. Bear in mind that it is not always the case. A skilled equestrian is a factor in winning the race, not just the horse. Amateur bettors often overlook the equestrian’s impact, which affects their chances of winning.

 

Rests Bear Significance To The Win

Keep in mind that horses only have a few weeks to rest in every event. Data shows that knowing the quality time of resting is advantageous to bettors.

 

Historically, there are few horses that we’re able to race in two events, one after the other, but not many horses can afford this. Before selecting your preferred horse, check its recent races and decide whether to wager bets on it or not.

 

Takeaway:

Horse betting is more than predicting who goes first. It goes as far as predicting the exact order of finishers in a race. The best way to win bets is to choose the best horse and to get multiple wagers that offer bigger chances of a win.

“A Stall View” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Andrew Stawarz

The first British Classic of 2020 is now slated to take place at Newmarket on the first Saturday in June.

The Rowley Mile will host the 2000 Guineas a month later than originally planned and Charlie Appleby’s superstar-in-the-making Pinatubo will be the one they all to have to aim at.

The Godolphin-owned son of Shamardal won all six starts as a juvenile in 2019, culminating in an impressive Group 1 double via the National Stakes in Ireland and the Dewhurst at Newmarket, the traditional championship race for two-year-olds in Britain.

His seemingly endless pool of untapped talent means that Pinatubo is generally an odds-on chance in the horse racing betting to win the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The Classic will be his first attempt beyond 7f but his experience of Newmarket stands him in good stead and he seemingly has the world at his feet. That said, he must prove he has wintered well and he’ll be going to Headquarters without a prep run.

With the market generally showing around 8/1 bar Pinatubo, punters may be seeking an each-way player against the likely favourite. Here are three plausible contenders.

Arizona

Aidan O’Brien’s colt twice finished behind Pinatubo last season, including when runner-up in the Dewhurst at Newmarket. Seamie Heffernan’s mount made the running that afternoon on soft ground and, briefly, looked to have chance of holding on before the odds-on favourite picked him up and won by two lengths. Still, that was progress as Pinatubo had beaten him more than nine lengths a month earlier at the Curragh.

Ryan Moore has won the 2000 Guineas twice in the last five years for trainer O’Brien and the leading pilot sees Arizona as one that should have strengthened up enough to be a contender for Classic success as he recently confirmed when he suggested: “They change from two to three and I felt he was a horse that would have carried on improving.”

“ライアン・ムーア / Ryan Moore –” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Ogiyoshisan

Siskin

Like Pinatubo, the Ger Lyons-trained Siskin was unbeaten at two, winning his four starts and counting the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes amongst his achievements. He’s yet to run further than 6f and the form of that Curragh win certainly leaves him with something to find on the Appleby colt, given the runner-up Monarch Of Egypt was down the field in the Dewhurst.

That said, Siskin hasn’t yet been tested to the pin of his collar and Khalid Abdullah-owned colt could be another one to consider, particularly if he improves for the mile trip.

Palace Pier

A late-appearing two-year-old from the John Gosden yard, Palace Pier left a strong impression with his two autumn wins. The son of Kingman twice scored over 7f at Sandown with plenty to spare, eased down when stringing out his rivals despite conceding a 6lb penalty in September in novice company.

The form of that win was boosted later in the year on turf and on the all-weather circuit and, while he lacks the Group-race experience of some of the leading contenders there’s no doubting that this Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt has lots of scope for improvement and could be a player at a decent price for Gosden-Frankie Dettori team.

The horse racing fraternity inside Australia is starting to look ahead to this year’s Spring Carnival and for many, only one race can take its usual centre stage. The field for the 2020 running of the Melbourne Cup is just starting to take shape and a number of pundits are looking at one horse in particular.

Vow and Declare ran the perfect race at Flemington last November and, after a strong showing at the end of March, the Danny O’Brien-trained horse is looking in good shape for the double.

Warming Up

Ahead of some scheduled Group One renewals in Sydney, O’Brien took Vow and Declare, along with stablemate Miami Bound, to a race day gallop at Bendigo across the last weekend of March. It was a powerful pairing with the Melbourne Cup champion up against the horse that had claimed the VRC Oaks in 2019, but it was Vow and Declare who came through the stronger of the two.

O’Brien was happy with the run-out and punters would have taken notice of Vow and Declare’s performance. Early ante-post horse racing betting markets put the horse down as a 16/1 shot for a Melbourne Cup repeat in 2020 and those are odds that many are prepared to take at this stage.

Historic Trends

History isn’t necessarily on Vow and Declare’s side as O’Brien’s mount takes a long look ahead to Flemington in November. The Melbourne Cup is a gruelling test of endurance, often in extreme heat, and a double is a rare event. Since the first running in 1861, only four horses had won the event twice before Makybe Diva’s unprecedented treble from 2003 to 2005.

Early ante post bets pose more of a challenge and much can happen between now and November 3rd but if Vow and Declare can maintain the form shown at Bendigo, that 16/1 price can only come down.

Cautionary Tales

Trainer Daniel O’Brien gave a concise description of events during that gallop day and seemed happy, if not over-enthusiastic about Vow and Declare’s showing. Teaming up again with Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Craig Williams, O’Brien stated that the horse was ‘about to switch off’ before Williams regained his mount’s focus.

The trainer also claimed that Vow and Declare was never a great track worker but it’s the competitive racing that counts. The most recent outing produced a third-place finish in the Australian Cup on March 7th and while the horse has consistently placed, wins have been rare across his career.

There will be plenty of challenges from within the chasing pack: Surprise Baby is also listed at 16/1 in places and a gap then follows to Shared Ambition and 2019 Caulfield Cup winner Mer De Glace who was among the favourites for the Melbourne Cup twelve months ago.

The Melbourne Cup is tough to call from so far out but, of the active horses likely to be in contention at Flemington on November 3rd, Vow and Declare is looking in good shape in the long lead up to the off.

2000 Guineas

There’s a big clear favourite for the 2000 Guineas this year and with good reason, Pinatubo is the highest rated horse this race has seen for some time, he’s even rated 2lb higher than the best turf horse the world has seen Frankel was at this time in his career, he’s owned and bred by the mighty Team Godolphin whose trying to win the race for the 4th time under the Godolphin name at least.

Pinatubo is trained by Charlie Appleby whose trying to win the Guineas for the first time in his short but already prestigious training career to add to his other classic winning Derby trophy. Charlie already is in scintillating form with not only a cool 32% strike rate in this seasons UK All weather but also is mopping up in the UAE with 20 winners to his name in Meydan alone which includes a Group 1, 6 x Group 2’s and 2 x Group 3’s.

Pinatubo finds himself unbeaten in 6 runs, 5 on the turf, he already has 2 Group 1 victories to his name having been tipped up by racing specialist. The first when looking simply like a future superstar when smashing with ease a genuine quality field in the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes over in Ireland beating Irish EBF Futurity Stakes winning Armory by 9 lengths and Royal Ascots Coventry Stakes winning Arizona by slightly further. Pinatubo then went on to the Dewhurst to take on Arizona once again, this time under much different underfoot circumstances, he didn’t look to like the the tricky Newmarket dips neither did the testing ground look to give him any favours but even if a little workmanlike his quality seen him through to beat Arizona by a much reduced 2 length victory.

Yet to tackle a mile which isn’t any concern as I believe most 2000 Guineas winners didn’t run at a mile in their 2yo career but visually his best work comes in his last furlong and always very strong through the line with ears pricked showing he’ll relish the mile trip, even on breeding points more to stamina with his Dad Sharmardal who won the mile St James Palace and the 1m2f French Derby, his Mother Lava Flow was a Listed 1m3f winner and the dams sire Dalakhani was a multiple Group 1 winner which included the prestigious 1m4f Prix De L’Arc, so plenty of positives to show there’s even more improvement when going further.

Looking at the negatives, if the ground was to be soft, that sure would be a big negative after his last display didn’t see his usual excellence, but with good in the going description in 9 of the last 10 years of this race, there’s little chance that will be a negative on the day. He didn’t look totally at home on the Newmarket undulations LTO too which also is a negative, but certainly didn’t stop him and the experience will now be a plus.

Another interesting point that’s not exactly a negative as his breeding is more than adequate but the last 9 winners of this race have been heavily linked with the mighty Galileo, his sired 3 (Churchill, Gleneagles & Frankel) winners in the last 9 years, he’s been the dams sire of 4 (Magna Grecia, Saxon Warrior, Galileo Gold & Night Of Thunder) of the last 9 winners, he was the great sire of 2013 winner Dawn Approach and 2012 winner Camelot’s grand sire was Saddlers Wells whose is Galileo’s sire, you’d have to go back to 2010 when French surprise winner Makfi wasn’t closely linked to Galileo, even the year before this in 2009 the winner Sea The Stars was Galileo’s half brother.

So like previously mentioned you can’t tarnish Pinatubo’s excellence because he isn’t closely related to Galileo but it’s very interesting to see Galileo’s dominance in this race and worth a look at a couple of his best descendants to hopefully keep his firm stance on the race.

First off is Earthlight whose also a Godolphin horse, this time from their French operation whose trained by A Fabre whose one of the most successful trainers in the world, he’s won French trainer of the year a record 24 years and has won the English 2000 Guineas.

Earthlight is half brother to Pinatubo but his great dams sire is Galileo which is very handy if going off trends, like his brother is unbeaten in 5 turf starts, but has yet raced past 6 furlongs and again like his brother, he’s super speedy and bred for further, his dam Winters Moon was a winner on the Newmarket July course and was very unlucky close 3rd in the Group 1 Fillies Mile over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket while her excellent sire New Approach who has 5 Group 1 wins to his name, 2 over this Newmarket Rowley track, he was beaten by just a nose in the 2000 Guineas but went on to win the the 1m4f classic Derby, so plenty to love about Earthlights pedigree and sure to see a improvement stepped up in trip.

Earthlight already has 2 group 1 victories to his name, the first in France in the Prix Morny while setting a track record and when last seen winning the Middle Park Stakes over this track by a cosy neck, while he hasn’t been as breath taking as half brother Pinatubo, there’s definitely a lot more to come when upped in trip and very well bred for the Guineas course and trip, his odds at current of 8/1 is very appealing for the value punter, there’s always a risk of backing a French horse to skip the French Guineas for the English counterpart especially with Godolphin already have the short price fav wrapped up, but trainer A Fabre has been vocal he’s excited to run Earthlight in the English Guineas, so let’s hope he gets his way.

I couldn’t finish without mentioning a A O’Brien horse who has won this race a record 10 times and bidding to win this race for the 4th time in succession, while not looking to have the strongest of hands this season, you simply can’t write him off, while Arizona got much closer to Pinatubo when they last met and many feel is O’Briens best chance at retaining the Guineas, I still believe Armory looks his best shot, he beat Arizona by a short distance when they was both smashed in the Vincent O’Brien Stakes and the extra distance will certainly see more, his sired by Galileo, which doesn’t need any further mention and is out of a Danehill Dancer mare who had plenty of speed and won at Newmarket and had 2 Group 1’s to his name. His odds of 33/1 with most online betting sites are down to his last 2 runs in France, where he simply hated the very testing underfoot conditions and for me, you can simply put a line through them displays and you’ll get a huge run for your money at his current odds.

Conclusion:

I couldn’t put you off last years 2 year old horse of the year Pinatubo, but Earthlight’s odds 8/1 are more appealing and is more suited to Newmarket, while Armory odds of 33/1 is standout and the best each way bet of the race.

The Lincoln

Early look at the first feature flat race of the season which is ran over the Doncaster mile. 4 year olds have a great record in the race and are our main focus, they have won the last 4 renewals of the race and won it 10 times in the last 17 years.

Also another few significant trends to add, is 9/10 of the last 4 year old winners was making their seasonal debut, ie hasn’t run at Meyden this year, 6 of them won their final outing as a 3 year old and also 6 of them 9 had only 7 career races or fewer to their name. Also 9/10 had won at a mile before and all 10 had ran at a mile or over.

So basically a 4 year old, who won their last start as a 3 year old, whose has had fewer than 7 career races and had won at a mile before is a good trend.

Currently at the top of the betting market sits Fifth Position from the Roger Varian yard, he’s only won 1 of his last 6 starts when beating Space Blues who carried a 7lb penalty in a novice event, now 114 rated Space Blues went on to win a listed event before a couple of big runs in French Group 1 races, most notably 2nd to Too Darn Hot in the Prix Jean Prat which was tipped by Russell Blair Racing. Fifth Position since has ran in a few decent pattern races and was last seen when staying on 8th in the Cambridgeshire, he doesn’t strike me as particularly well handicapped which make his odds look very short at 6/1.

The next 4yo is Top Rank who is around 3rd fav in the market at current, he’s won his last 3 from 3 and has a bright looking future but his mark of just 91 leaves him looking unlikely to make the cut, the last 3 years the lowest mark that made the cut was 96.

Ebury with just the 2 wins from 5 runs, but has just the 2 runs to his name on the turf, he won a conditions race on turf debut with Wafy in the field who went on to win a Group 3 in Meydan this season and is a leading fancy in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen. Ebury next and last race on turf came in a decent enough class 3 handicap at Newmarket where he looked very well in, he was held up out the back and left with an awful lot to do in a race where nothing else came with a closing run he closed down the 10 length gap between him and the eventual winner Hafeet Alain to just a length at the line, that was on soft ground too which is another big plus proving to handle almost any ground.

Tinandali has a interesting angle, he’s trained by David O’Meara who won this race in 2017 with a ex A P O’Brien Irish horse Bravery who was very exposed at the time so was a fine training job, this year he tackles the race with another ex Irish horse from the D K Weld yard whose a lot less exposed with just the 6 runs to his name with 2 wins on the board. He’s won over further than this 1 mile race too which holds in good light and his Dad Oasis Dream was very quick sprinter with 3 top Group 1’s to his name and is Europe’s leading Group 1 sprint sire, so plenty of pace in the pedigree coupled by the his dams stamina who also won over 10 furlongs and the dams sire Daylami was an exceptional stayer with 7 Group 1 victories to his name in middle distance events, so with a exciting pedigree of pace and stamina his full potential may now be unlocked with a change of yards.

Beatboxer is worthy of a big mention from the dangerous John Gosden yard who as normal has his yard in fine form with 11 winners and 16 places from just 48 runners this season. Beatboxer showed early promise winning his first 2 starts as a 2yo before 2 below par runs questioning his attitude, he put them behind him when winning the Silver Bowl handicap last year at Haydock off a mark of 95 showing plenty to like on his day but again proved unpredictable when running below par in his next 2 runs to finish the season. He’s been gelded over the winter which could bring out his true ability and may be one to follow this season if the operation has done the job.

Bell Rock comes from a inform Andrew Balding yard whose operating on a 22% strike rate this season, he also has been gelded over the winter, he’s out of a very exciting young sire Kingman whose progeny have hit the ground running and was also the leading second season sire in Europe last year. Bell Rock is very unexposed with just the 4 runs to his name, he won on debut as a 2yo late in the season and was highly tried in 3 races last season, a step back into handicap company and now gelded could see a very dangerous run and is another who could be one to follow this year.

Conclusion

A interesting renewal of the Lincoln this season where I don’t see any 4yo (likely to make the cut) that won their last race as a 3yo which is normally a good trend to follow, but non the less all looking the leading contenders and have the upper hand over their elders again this year, the favourite Fifth Position for me is a bad favourite and to be taken on, but at present is a tough decision to know what to take him on with, Ebury currently 16/1 is the top choice and available with www.wetttippsheute.net, he was visually the most impressive LTO, looks to have the most in hand and we know he’ll handle any ground. Tinandali 20/1 has the most exciting pedigree and untapped potential IMO, but D K Weld is a brilliant trainer and hard to fathom that if he couldn’t get the best out of him then will O’Meara, but the same could be said about when he did it with Bravery. We also have the 2 recently gelded Beatboxer and Bell Rock who both are 25/1 and look potential forces if the operation has done the trick, a little worried on the ground for both of these, as they both have to prove they’ll go on the likely softer ground but Bell Rock breeding says he’ll relish conditions. So gun to head if I had to pick 2, I’m at present with Ebury 16/1 and Bell Rock 25/1, but a keen eye on both Tinandali & Beatboxer.