Horsebetting.com provide their Give Thanks Stakes betting tips for the 1m 4f Group 3 feature contest at Cork on Saturday, 11 August for fillies and mares. Course and distance winner Bloomfield gets the nod as our main bet, while the improving Kalaxana looks to be the main danger. Aidan O’Brien three-year-old Sizzling is an each-way alternative to consider. For further details, read our 2018 Give Thanks Stakes betting tips preview.Bloomfield the bet in Give Thanks at CorkWillie McCreery’s Bloomfield has a great record over course and distance, so looks the answer to land a first group success in the feature race at Cork on Saturday, the 1m 4f Give Thanks Stakes for fillies and mares (15:00).
This four-year-old daughter of Teofilo chased home Eziyra in a Group 3 here last season, and was a Listed winner at the trip and venue having landed the spoils on her return to action in the Noblesse Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths in April. Bloomfield had the re-opposing Clear Skies beaten a further 2 1/4 lengths back in third.
As they meet again off level weights, there is no reason why McCreery’s charge cannot confirm the form. She already beat the Noblesse runner-up Glamorous Approach when stepped up to 1m 6f for the first time at Gowran Park in the Vintage Tipple Stakes – another Listed contest on her second start of the campaign.
Bloomfield kept on well again to show that she stays superbly and had the re-opposing Naughty Or Nice well-cooked trailing in a distant sixth. She beat that one again when a length second to the front-running Flattering in the Group 3 Munster Oaks over course and distance on her penultimate start.
What was most taking about this defeat, however, was Bloomfield gave a whole stone in weight away to the third Sizzling – yet another who re-opposes – and still finished half-a-length in front. They now meet on 4lb better terms for McCreery’s filly, so there is every reason to believe she can confirm the Munster Oaks form.
While Bloomfield found Group 2 company a little too hot to handle in the Curragh Cup last time out, she looks more than capable of winning at this level. The ease in grade and drop back to a mile-and-a-half which she has a win and two seconds – all at Cork – mean she looks tailor made to add Group 3 success here.Kalaxana considered main dangerImproving Mick Halford three-year-old Kalaxana looks the danger in this six-runner field, having stepped up in class to win at Listed level last time out. Owned by the Aga Khan, this daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar hasn’t finished out of the first two in her last five starts and is on a 50 per cent career strike rate.
Kalaxana is also relatively unexposed as the trip having landed the Lenebane Stakes at Roscommon over an extended 1m 3f last time out. She stayed on well for pressure inside the final furlong to score by a 1/4 lengths in a manner that suggested the extra 100 yards or so of this wouldn’t be a problem.
Prior to that, Kalaxana justified favouritism when winning the Ulster Oaks at Down Royal over an extended 1m 2f when keeping on well under a hands and heels ride to take victory by 2 3/4 lengths. She looks to have the kind of progressive profile that cannot be discounted here, especially when you consider three-year-old have won 10 of the 15 runnings.
Now running off a mark of 98, Kalaxana gets weight off everyone but Sizzling in the Give Thanks and that could see this upwardly mobile sort be involved in the finish. At the odds on offer, she must be considered a real threat to our main selection alongside Turret Rocks.Sizzling has each-way shoutSizzling is hugely experienced for age and a clear each-way contender for master trainer Aidan O’Brien. This daughter of Galileo has already had 18 career starts and, while she’s won just two, a 50 per cent placed ratio highlights she has gone close a lot.
Although poor on her two outings in the UK this season, Sizzling has made the frame in four previous starts at home before dead-heating with Cimeara in the Listed 1m 6f Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown last time out. She ran on strongly to join her conqueror from her penultimate outing on the line and take a share of the spoils.
Connections drop Sizzling back in trip from those stamina tests and she is now rated 97 – 6lb lower than her career high mark. Treated on the pick of her form, she only has half-a-length to find on Bloomfield, who is similarly versatile as regards ground.
As noted above, Sizzling meets her again off 4lb worse terms here but, having twice finished in front of Naughty Or Nice, she still has claims of making the frame, especially as the top rated Turret Rocks may not quite get home in this. Your Next Bet
