Horsebetting.com experts give their 2018 Superior Mile betting tips for the Group 3 contest at Haydock on Saturday, 8 September. Zonderland posted an improved effort last time out, so looks worth a bet to land the spoils now eased in grade. Regal Reality is an unexposed and improving three-year-old who rates the main danger. Tabarrak, meanwhile, has some solid form in the book and looks a solid each-way contender. For full details on these horse, read our in-depth 2018 Superior Mile betting tips preview.Zonderland worth siding with in Superior MileZonderland has shaped is if coming back to his best in two starts following a break, so looks a tasty punt to take advantage of a drop in class and score an overdue success in the Group 3 Superior Mile on Sprint Cup day at Haydock on Saturday (14:25). This Clive Cox trained five-year-old has some smart back form in the book.
He has not scored since landing the 2016 renewal of the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, but has posted some really solid efforts in defeat, including when beaten just a nose by subsequent Group 1 winner Lightning Spear in last year’s running of the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood.
Zonderland has only had five starts since and clearly had his problems. He failed to shine in his first two outings this season – both of which came in Group 1 company – but then ran very well following 58 days on the sidelines when a two length third to Plumatic in a Group 3 at Salisbury. That was a big step back in the right direction, and the son of Dutch Art has since finished a fine fourth of eight to Beat The Bank in this year’s renewal of the aforementioned Celebration Mile.
After tracking the leaders, Zonderland was produced to take up the running inside the last before weakening late on to be beaten just 1 1/4 lengths. The race was run at a muddling pace, which would not have suited, so in the circumstances it was an excellent effort and one which suggested he would be back in the winners enclosure sooner rather than later.
This is easier and the stable has been back among the winners of late; so, if Zonderland can take another step forward, he looks value to get the better of Regal Reality and land the spoils. He thus features as the main selection in our 2018 Superior Mile betting tips.Regal Reality a worthy favouriteTrainer Sir Michael Stoute has won the race a joint record three times thanks to Linngari (2005), Confront (2009) and Ballet Concerto (2017). His runner in this year’s renewal is the Regal Reality, a lightly-raced and unexposed colt who has won two of her three starts and looks a worthy market leader judged on taking display last time out when landing a Group 3 at Goodwood.
That came in the six-runner Thoroughbred Stakes where the son of Intello came with a swooping late run down the outside of the field to win going away by 1 3/4 lengths from Ostilio. The way in which he got the job done was visually impressive and the runner-up went into the contest on the back of a brace of successes.
Chief Ironside, who was third home, has also come out and run well since to finish third again in a Group 3 at York, so the form has a fairly solid look to it despite the fact that the three top rated in the field failed to sparkle and ran below expectations. Regal Reality also still looks far from the finished article and the type to go on improving with each outing.
This looks much tougher than the Thoroughbred and demands more. There is no doubt that Regal Reality has the potential to end up better than his rivals, but they are proven tough group performers who are no pushovers; so, at the odds on offer, we think Regal Reality is worth taking on in this.Tabarrak another with claimsTabarrak is officially the joint-top rated in the line-up and improved throughout last season when landing two Listed contests. In the last of those at Newbury, he beat subsequent Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent by a neck, so he looks another well worth considering in a competitive renewal.
The Richard Hannon trained five-year-old has looked as good as ever this season. After landing a Listed contest here over 7f on his second start of the campaign, the son of Acclamation has been far from disgraced in three Group 3 contests.
He was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths into fourth by the thriving Sir Dancealot in the Criterion Stakes over 7f at Newmarket and shaped as if needing the outing last time out when weakening late on to finish a 3 1/4 lengths fifth of nine to Expert Eye in the 7f City Of York Stakes at the Knavesmire following a break. Tabarrak should be much sharper now and looks well worth another crack at the 1m trip of this as he’s 1-2 over it and is also versatile as regards ground.
The gelding also has a 33 per cent strike rate under jockey Jim Crowley and his proven course form is another plus. On the pick of his form, then, Tabarrak has claims of making the frame at least, so he therefore features as the each-way punt in our 2018 Superior Mile Stakes betting tips.Your Next Bet
