Horsebetting.com experts give their 2018 Sun Chariot Stakes betting tips for the fillies and mares’ Group 1 mile feature contest at Newmarket on Saturday, 6 October. Laurens comes out on top on rating and Karl Burke’s ultra-tough filly heads the betting with good reason after a stellar season. Veracious is feared most for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and owners Cheveley Park Stud. That leaves shock 1000 Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook as each-way value, meanwhile, now returned to the scene of her greatest triumph. Learn more about these three-year-old fillies’ hopes of Group 1 glory in our 2018 Sun Chariot Stakes betting tips preview.Laurens looking good for Sun Chariot successYorkshire trainer Karl Burke has the horse of a lifetime on his hands with ultra-tough filly Laurens and she looks a worthy favourite for yet another Group 1 win in the feature Sun Chariot Stakes over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday (15:15). The three-year-old daughter of Siyouni comes out on top on ratings against the field here.
Laurens has won six of her nine career starts, finishing second on two other occasions and was far from disgraced when beaten eight lengths on her sole try over 1m 4f and sixth to leading Arc de Triomphe contender Sea Of Class in the Yorkshire Oaks. She also has a win and place over course and distance at headquarters.
After landing a 7f Doncaster maiden on debut in July 2017, Laurens returned to Town Moor following a credible second in the Group 3 Prix du Calvados at Deauville and swooped with a perfectly-timed run in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes to win by a head. That was her first try at 1m and she followed-up in equally thrilling fashion in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile here.
Having made most of the running, Laurens was all out but held September by the narrowest of margins on the final start of her juvenile campaign. She is the type that does just enough to win and hold the opposition, but was stunned on reappearance in the 1000 Guineas by re-opposing rival Billesdon Brook.
Keeping on gamely as ever, however, Laurens chased home the shock 66/1 Classic heroine, then demonstrated she was a top-drawer filly with consecutive Group 1 successes in France. The first of those saw her stepped up to 10 furlongs in the Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp where she again raced prominently and was all out at the finish when scoring by a short-head.
Laurens then had rivals queuing up to pass her in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly, but held off all-comers in truly gutsy fashion. That sensational display gave connections every right to try a mile-and-a-half at the Ebor Festival, but she simply didn’t get it and was the first one beaten.
Dropping back down to a mile last time out saw Laurens turn over Ireland’s filly of the season in Alpha Centauri, who sadly injured herself in their epic battle during the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown last month. Capitalising on Jessica Harrington’s bad fortune, Laurens made all – asserting close home for a three-quarters of a length victory and fourth win at the highest level.
On all known form, these exploits set a clear standard here. There’s no tougher filly in training on the Flat than Laurens and she’s little to fear from those re-opposing from Irish Champions Weekend in Aidan O’Brien trained duo Clemmie and Happily. We readily put her up as the value bet for more success in our 2018 Sun Chariot Stakes betting tips.Veracious a big dangerThis is a typically competitive renewal of the race, however, and Laurens will have challengers. The main threat may come from Sir Michael Stoute’s daughter of Frankel in the Cheveley Park Stud owned Veracious, who is one of the least exposed fillies in the line-up.
She is also feared most on a form line through Billesdon Brook, having finished in front of the Guineas winner twice at this elite level. Veracious is also a course winner having landed a 7f maiden on her second and final start as a juvenile last term.
Connections then pitched her right in at the deep end this season in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Although headed by Alpha Centauri before the furlong marker, Veracious kept on for third and has Clemmie over three lengths down in-behind in fifth.
She confirmed that Ascot form next time up when beaten just two lengths by Wild Illusion in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Veracious again got the better of Billesdon Brook, who was also fourth at the royal meeting, so the form has a solid look to it.
An ease in grade finally saw her resume winning ways when last in action in the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown. Ryan Moore pushed Veracious along firmly to assert entering the final furlong and he rode her out for a ready 1 1/4 lengths victory over Awesometank.
This obviously demands more but, with O’Brien entries all having something to prove and Andre Fabre trained French raider Wind Chimes travelling for the first time, it’s Veracious who can give Laurens most to think about. There’s more to come from Stoute’s filly after just career outings.Billesdon Brook has each-way claimsThe assessor hasn’t cut the aforementioned 1000 Guineas heroine Billesdon Brook any slack since her Classic win. A repeat of that career-best from Richard Hannon’s charge will surely see the daughter of Champs Elysees go close here though, and she’s each-way value now returned to the scene of her greatest triumph.
That Newmarket victory for Billesdon Brook came on her 10th start, having won twice in eight runs as a juvenile – including the 7f Group 3 Prestige Stakes. If treated on the pick of her three-year-old form, however, she hasn’t got much to find on Veracious and is rated 5lb superior to that rival who has well held her at Ascot and Goodwood.
Take out Alpha Centauri, who won’t race again, and Billesdon Brook would’ve made the frame in the Coronation Stakes. The Nassau then seemed to stretch her stamina despite her pedigree suggesting she would get 10 furlongs, so dropping back down in distance is sure to suit.
In a race where the competition for places looks fierce, Billesdon Brook looks real value at the odds on offer. If able to reproduce her 1000 Guineas effort from earlier this year over the same course and distance, then she looks a great each-way bet in our 2018 Sun Chariot Stakes betting tips.Your Next Bet
