As a fruitless World Cup thankfully draws to a close, we gleefully seize on cricket and racing for JOE’s Daily Double today.
We haven’t drawn a single winner from the past month of action from South Africa, which surely goes to show that events at the World Cup have been anything but predictable.
Either that, or we know nothing about football.
Moving swiftly along, we have the second day of Newmarket’s July meeting to look forward to on Thursday, where we’re looking at the opening race, a 1m5f contest for three-year-olds.
The one we like is HARRIS TWEED, who was mightily impressive last time out, albeit only in a handicap off a relatively modest 83.
His shrewd trainer William Haggas is sending the Hernando colt out for his first race in pattern company today, and given the manner in which he led from the front in a strongly run race at Mussleburgh, and just went further and further clear while his rivals toiled, we reckon he has a good chance making up into a top stayer.
Those behind him on that occasion included today’s fellow joint-favourite Corsica, who does have an 18-pound swing for a little over five lengths, so it’s a stab in the dark to say that Harris Tweed will confirm the form, but we’re romantic types and we’re willing to take that chance.
Into cricket, and we reckon it makes sense to stick with IAN BELL to be England’s top scorer in the first one-day international against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.
Bell gets his chance to return to the one-day side due to an injury to Kevin Pietersen, he’s been in such good form in other forms of the game and he looks a good bet to carry that into a game against the Bangladeshis, against whom he scored two Test centuries in May.
JOE’s Daily Double: Ian Bell to be England’s top run scorer (England v Bangladesh, 5/1) & Harris Tweed (Newmarket, 1.30 @ 5/2)
Want more racing? We have an in-depth interview with California-based Irish trainer Carl O’Callaghan, who saddles the fancied Kinsale King in Friday’s Newmarket highlight, the July Cup.
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