Horsebetting.com give their 2018 September Stakes betting tips from Kempton Park. Returning Arc de Triomphe and dual Classic heroine Enable is impossible to oppose in this 1m 4f Group 3 all-weather event on Saturday, 8 September. Fellow four-year-old and top rated horse Crystal Ocean is feared most, while the former’s John Gosden stablemate Weekender is an alternative to consider in the small but select field. Read more about this must-see race in our 2018 September Stakes betting tips preview.Enable impossible to oppose for September Stakes successThe long-awaited return to action for John Gosden trained, Prince Khalid Abdullah owned filly Enable is upon us, so she’s taken to win after 342 days off in the Group 3 September Stakes that gets proceedings underway at Kempton Park on Saturday (14:05). The four-year-old is a dual Classic, King George and Arc de Triomphe winner who sets a clear standard on such back form in a small but select field.
Enable exploded onto the scene last season when bolting up by five lengths in The Oaks at Epsom on her third start of the campaign, then won even more impressively in the Irish equivalent at The Curragh. Connections thought it was high time she stepped out of battling her own sex and she duly trounced the boys at Ascot next time out in the King George.
This daughter of Nathaniel and Concentric, who is by Sadler’s Wells, then made all in the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor Festival racking up a fourth Group 1 in the process that underlined her superiority over her fellow females. The Arc was now Enable’s target and she was angled out by regular rider Frankie Dettori to chase the leaders before the two marker, before quickening clear into the lead and staying on strongly to make it five from five at the highest level.
Those exploits in elite company have earned her a mark of 128 – the second highest in this September Stakes renewal. As ever, however, Enable gets a sex allowance on the colts and geldings that puts her 7lb well-in on ratings topper Crystal Ocean, who will certainly give her a race.
Gosden is going for back-to-back Arc successes, though last year’s race was at Chantilly and this year the most famous race in France returns to its proper home, Longchamp. That is Enable’s target but, while this is only a prep run, she will be facing similar types across the Channel to Crystal Ocean.
This will be a fascinating indicator of just how fit Gosden has got her. With the others opposing her facing a mountain to climb on ratings and her completely fresh, Enable looks a worthy favourite to win and so she gets the nod as our main selection in these 2018 September Stakes betting tips.Crystal Ocean the single real dangerSir Michael Stoute has saddled a record six winners of this race, though only once since Kempton became an all-weather track. His King George runner-up Crystal Ocean has to give weight all-round here because of a 5lb penalty for a Group 2 win at Royal Ascot, but is still feared most on that form.
This four-year-old has taken his form to a new level this season after landing the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and then chasing home Capri in the St Leger at Doncaster last term. Crystal Ocean – a son of Sea The Stars – backed up two more wins at this level in his first two outings of the campaign before landing the Hardwicke Stakes.
Racing in second place for much of that contest, he was then produced by Ryan Moore to take it up before the two market and ran on strongly to score by 2 1/2 lengths. Crystal Ocean then lost little when gallantly going down by a neck to stablemate Poet’s Word in an almighty battle to the line over the same course and distance in that Ascot Group 1.
He is definitely race fit, unlike Enable, but that King George ding dong battle may have taken its toll. Crystal Ocean is well clear of the remainder on ratings, but is 7lb worse off for his mark at the weights with the superstar filly which makes this a tough ask.
What Stoute’s colt will do, however, is keep her honest and this will be far from a procession for the red-hot jolly. For the reasons outlined above, Crystal Ocean makes for a solid straight forecast choice to fill second place behind Enable.Weekender the only credible alternativeGosden and Prince Khalid are double-handed here, however, with recent Ebor Handicap runner-up Weekender also entered. This was a mighty performance under top-weight at York last time out and it has put this four-year-old son of Frankel back on a career high mark of 114.
That means Weekender is by far the closest to Crystal Ocean and Enable on ratings, so he looks the one most likely to capitalise if one or either somehow fails to fire. He is also two out of two on the all-weather, scoring twice at Chelmsford at 1m 2f and 1m 6f.
Weekender was also half-a-length behind Red Verdon in the Group 2 Henry II Stakes at Sandown won by Magic Circle on his second start this season. That one chased Crystal Ocean home at Royal Ascot, so that form line enhances his claims as best of the rest here.
Warming up for the Ebor when just denied by a neck in the Listed Grand Cup over the same course and distance, Dettori got a superb tune out of Weekender in the big one at York last month. Although headed 1f out by Muntahaa, he was kept up to his work and driven out to lead the rest of the field home and beaten just 3 1/4 lengths when giving 3lb to the winner.
Provided this run doesn’t come too soon off the back of his Ebor exploits, Weekender – who must give 3lb to the fillies – looks the each-way value among our 2018 September Stakes betting tips. Failing that, punters who fancy a tricast flutter have every reason to include him with bookmakers only paying two places on the race.Your Next Bet
