Across Dubai odds make him the Horsebetting.com experts pick among 2018 John Smith’s Cup betting tips from York on Saturday, 14 July. His trainer William Haggas has a good recent record in the historic 1m 2f handicap. Afaak and Appeared also make plenty of each-way appeal in a typically wide-open and fierce renewal of the valuable contest. Read our 2018 John Smith’s Cup betting tips preview to find out more about these three horses.Across Dubai odds value in John Smith’s CupThe big race at York on Saturday is the historic John Smith’s Cup (15:40) and Across Dubai looks cracking value it a typically fierce renewal of the 1m 2f handicap. This gelding hails from the yard of William Haggas, the most successful trainer in the race in recent times.
He has won two of the last seven runnings courtesy of of Green Destiny (2011) and Danchai (2013). In Across Dubai, he has a lightly-raced an unexposed four-year-old who has won three of his seven starts and also made the frame on one other occasion.
After completing the hat-trick in a handicap at Haydock 12 months ago, he was thought good enough to take his chance in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood but could never get competitive and finished a 7 1/2 lengths last of five to the classy Crystal Ocean.
He then ran very well when sent off favourite and finishing a keeping on 3 1/2 lengths sixth of 12 to Thundering Blue in a hot handicap at Sandown, and now meets the winner on 7lb better terms.
That may well be enough to see Across Dubai turn the tables with that re-opposing rival, who is second favourite for this, and he comes into the race on the back of a promising effort at Chelmsford when third to Melting Dew and beaten just half-a-length.
Melting Dew, to whom he was conceding 5lb, has since gone on to follow up at Sandown off a rating of 93 – so that gives the form a solid look and makes Across Dubai looks nicely treated off his current mark of 95. That was also just his second start of the campaign and he looks to have been primed for this.
Connections are also now fitting Across Dubai with cheekpieces for the first time. If they have the desired effect he looks weighted to run a huge race from a good draw in stall seven. So, at the odds on offer, he looks well worth an each-way wager and is our main fancy in this.Afaak also has an appealing profileAfaak is a progressive sort and a fascinating contender now stepped up in trip following a cracking second last time out in the Royal Hunt Cup over 1m at Ascot where he found handicap blot Settle For Bay 2 1/4 lengths too good. The Charlie Hill trained four-year-old stuck to the task really well in what is the hottest 1m handicap of the season.
Prior to that, he had scored in good style over 1m at this venue when travelling well throughout before asserting close home to beat Love Dreams by 1 1/2 lengths. Afaak has a good strike rate having won three of his 10 starts; he also ran very well in last year’s Silver Cambridgeshire at Newmarket when he was half-a-length second of 16 to the classy Addeybb.
Big fields clearly hold no fears for the son of Oasis Dream and the way he travels and finishes off his races suggest the step up to 1m 2f should not be a problem. He also looks the type that should have more to offer.
The only negative is that Afaak is drawn out widest of all in stall 21; however, it may not be as big an issue as it could be given his run style and jockey Dane O’Neil is two from three on him. If he can get a handy pitch early on, Afaak looks sure to be there at the business end of affairs, so he is therefore another with each-way claims in a wide-open contest.Appeared another with leading claimsAppeared is the sole representative for Newmarket handler Roger Varian, who saddled Farraj to land the spoils in 2014, and is another well worth considering each-way following a highly promising return to action in the 1m 4f Duke Of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot.
The six-year-old travelled well throughout and, after taking up the running ath the furlong marker, only weakened late on to finish a four-length fourth of 17 to Dash Of Spice. He now meets the winner, who went into the race with three previous runs under his belt, on 5lb better terms.
Given that Appeared is entitled to come on for that outing there shouldn’t be much between them this time and the weight swing may be enough to turn the tables. The son of Dubawi is also able to race in this off an unchanged rating of 103. That is just 1lb higher than when a cracking second of 19 to Rare Rhythm in the 2017 running of the Duke Of Edinburgh.
That gives him every chance from a handicapping point of view on the pick of his form and another plus is that Appeared is a course winner. The drop back down to 1m 2f, over which he has raced just once, should also hold no fears given that this will be a strongly run affair.
Like Afaak, he is also not ideally drawn in stall 20. But, other than that, Appeared looks to have plenty going for him, so he thus features as an each-way among our John Smith’s Cup betting tips.Your Next Bet
