Simon Holt best bets for Aintree, Doncaster, Wincanton and Keeneland

Recommended bets

2pts win Mogul in 9.33 Keeneland at 4/1

2pts win Ch'tibello in 2.40 Aintree at 3/1

1pt win Dash Of Spice in 3.15 Doncaster at 16/1

1pt win Kitty's Light in 3.35 Wincanton at 16/1

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British and Irish-trained runners are set to dominate the Breeders Cup Turf - which has long been a stronghold for the visitors - at Keeneland with an illustrious team comprising Magical and Mogul (for six-time winner Aidan O'Brien), Tarnawa (Dermot Weld) and Lord North and Mehdaayih (for John Gosden).

With the home defence looking vulnerable, there is little between the first three named in the betting but MOGUL, a hugely expensive full brother to Japan, appears to be on the upgrade judging on his decisive victory in the Grand Prix de Paris under Pierre-Charles Boudot (back on board again) at Longchamp on Arc Trials Day in mid-September.

The son of Galileo recorded by far the fastest time of the three trials that day - nearly two seconds quicker than Tarnawa in the Prix Vermeille - and the form worked out really well with runner-up In Swoop and Gold Trip (third) subsequently finishing second and fourth respectively behind Sottsass in the Arc itself.

Hitherto, Mogul had not really lived up to expectations despite a narrow win in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, but his performance in Paris, making up ground very quickly from some way back in the field was hugely impressive.

Clearly, this may well require more up against an admirable stable-companion in Magical (the mount of Ryan Moore), who seemed a bit flat at Ascot last time following her hard-fought defeat of Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes, as well as Tarnawa who followed up her Vermeille win with a narrow defeat of the brave Alpine Star in the Prix de l'Opera, but this is a horse who may well be coming to the boil.

Trainer Dan Skelton did us a good turn last week when Roksana rocketed home at Wetherby, and another stable star CH'TIBELLO is fancied to strike on his seasonal reappearance in Saturday's Williamhill.com Best Odds Guaranteed Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles at Aintree.

Like Roksana, the nine-year-old boasts some strong form at the home of the Grand National having chased home Midnight Shadow here in December, 2018 as well as finishing third (beaten less than two lengths) behind Supasundae and Buveur D'Air in the 2019 Aintree Hurdle.

Prior to that excellent run, Ch'tibello won the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his first outing after a wind operation and connections have tinkered with his breathing once again during the off season.

Possibly at his most comfortable over further than two miles nowadays, Harry Skelton's mount is well suited by the race conditions, is top-rated on weight-adjusted official handicap marks and gets a 10lb pull with Call Me Lord who beat him just a length-and-a-half in last December's International Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Meanwhile, the curtain comes down on another Flat turf season at Doncaster where veteran trainer David Elsworth can end what has been a lean campaign on a tasty note with DASH OF SPICE in the Betfair November Handicap.

At his best, the six-year-old is a very useful middle-distance performer and, after winning the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot in June, 2018, his handicap mark went up to 104 whereas he can run here off 10lb lower.

Clearly, Dash Of Spice has had a few problems in the interim. He was off the course for two years prior to a reappearance at this year's Newmarket July Festival and, in subsequent starts, appeared to be struggling until his latest outing over this course and distance on soft ground when going under by two lengths to the re-opposing Tulip Fields.

That winning margin doesn't quite tell the whole story as jockey Tom Marquand probably went steady enough in the early stages and, having been headed by the winner over a furlong out, his mount was rallying gamely only to be hampered half a furlong from home.

It is unlikely that Dash Of Spice would have beaten Tulip Fields (who has since finished fifth in a listed race at Lingfield) but he gets a decent pull at the weights now and the likely stronger gallop in a much bigger field should suit him better.

Of course, there are any number of contenders as ever in this always competitive contest but none look as potentially well in as the selection if, as seems possible, he is about to recapture something close to his best form.

The highlight at Wincanton is the long-sponsored Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase which is always a terrific spectacle and can go this year to a horse with a somewhat unlikely profile in the bottom weighted KITTY'S LIGHT.

Aged just four, this cheaply-bought, Flat-bred, Christian Williams-trained gelding is very young to be winning a race of this nature but Jack Tudor's mount has taken off in recent starts and won in impressive fashion at Exeter last time when flying over the last two fences to beat Sizing At Midnight.

On much better terms, the runner-up ought to have a good shot at turning the tables, but Kitty's Light is improving rapidly and with ground conditions still ideal and Tudor tremendous value for his 5lb allowance, this well-connected son of Nathaniel can make the extra progress required against better opposition.

Preview posted 1635 GMT on 6/11/2020