Talking Horses: today’s best bets and the latest racing news

Trading Leather, pictured winning the Irish Derby at The Curragh, is one of nine declared for the King George. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
12pm Gosedn will walk course before giving Eagle go-ahead

Tony Paley: John Gosdenwill walk the course at Ascot on Friday before making a final decision on whether to let Eagle Top line up in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.

Gosden was hoping for rain ahead of the weekend and with the chances of any falling ahead of the race seemingly diminishing, he admits it is not yet certain Eagle Top will take his chance.

“Eagle Top is in very good form. Unfortunately our supplementary system is five days before the race. In France, it’s a much better system, it’s at 48 hours,” Gosden told At The Races.

“At the five-day stage there was talk of thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, but now it looks like the rain is much more likely on Sunday. “With the owners, who know the family well and know the horse well, we’ll make a decision.

“I’ll be at Ascot tomorrow [Friday] and walk the track. Then we will be making our decision. He’s a very nice horse, but I didn’t really want to run him twice on too fast a ground.

“He did it well at Royal Ascot, but he’s bred more for good, good to soft ground.”

Eagle Top is one of three three-year-olds declared by the master of Clarehaven Stables, with Epsom Oaks heroine Taghrooda and Derby third Romsdal both set to tackle their elders for the first time.

11.20am Nine horses declared for King George at Ascot

Royal Ascot hero Telescope and Oaks heroine Taghrooda feature among a final field of nine runners in the Qipco-sponsored King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Telescope produced the performance he has long promised with a brilliant display in the Hardwicke Stakes over the King George course and distance, earning himself a step up to Group One level.

Taghrooda kept her unbeaten record intact in Classic company at Epsom and owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum made the bold call to skip the Irish Oaks at the Curragh last weekend in favour of taking on the boys in Saturday’s Ascot showpiece.

Taghrooda is one of three three-year-olds in the field, all of which are trained by John Gosden.

The master of Clarehaven Stables is also set to saddle Eagle Top, supplemented at a cost of £75,000 after winning the King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal meeting, as well as Epsom Derby third Romsdal.

Mukhadram won the Coral-Eclipse for William Haggas earlier in the month and steps up to a mile and a half for the first time, with Dane O’Neill taking the ride as Sheikh Hamdan’s retained rider Paul Hanagan has unsurprisingly sided with Taghrooda.

There s a strong presence from Ireland with Aidan O’Brien’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes runner-up Magician joined by Jim Bolger-trained pair of Leitir Mor and Trading Leather.

The latter, who carries the colours of Godolphin, was runner-up behind Mukhadram in the Eclipse and big-race jockey Kevin Manning is confident he can make his presence felt this weekend.

“You could make a case for basically every horse in the race. It’s a very good race,” Manning told At The Races.

“He’s going there in good shape and I’m looking forward to riding him. I think he’ll put up a big show.”

Andre Fabre’s French challenger Flintshire complete the stellar line-up. PA

Thursday’s best bets, by Tony Paley

I enjoy the daily ‘Googling a runner’ item in the Racing Post. If I had been chossing today’s for the paper I would have gone with James Bond character Felix Leiter (2.10), who can win the opener at Yarmouth. His sire? Monsieur Bond, we’ve been expecting you. The selection went close on his racecourse debut and should improve for the step up to six furlongs.

The nap today is awarded to Etaab (7.55) at Doncaster. There’s plenty to like about this well-bred filly who has impressed in victory on her two most recent outings and the strong feeling is that she can take this prize on the way to better things. As far as ‘Googling a runner’ is concerned, Tight Fit does run in the same race.

Tipping competition, day four

Our winners so far:

Monday

Teenage Dream 7-2

Muharrer 7-1

Balmoral Castle 6-1

Tuesday

Shamaheart 11-2

Slim Chance 66-1

Valleyofmilan 9-2

Wednesday

In The Rough 11-2

Silvanus 9-2

Hallingham 14-1

And our leader is:

DrClaw +69

... who continued his unbelievable week with Silvanus. I feel deeply sorry for fatfrank29, who had Hallingham and is now clear second on +24, with 45 points still to make. Mai11 and Mulldog also had Hallingham.

Today, you’ll be seeking rank outsiders for these races: 3.05 Sandown, 6.30 Lingfield, 6.45 Doncaster.

This week’s prize is a copy of the Great Racetracks of the World, by Jim A McGrath & Trevor Marmalde (Hardie Grant, £30.00), a labour of love by two writers, including ‘Croc’ McGrath, late of the BBC and the Telegraph. This splendid volume, newly published promises: “A comprehensive look at the great horse racetracks of the world: how they became great, the horses that have won, and the races that are famous”. If you don’t win, you can buy it here.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -9.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.