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The Best betting tip for the John Smith’s Cup

By Angus | July 10, 2009

Betting tips will be worth their weight in gold tomorrow with the 50th running of the John Smith’s Cup, one of the North’s most popular horse races, at York’s Knavesmire racecourse. And, of course, we’ve got a tip for you.

York will become Newcastle-on-Ouse for the day as north-east racing fans flood onto the Knavesmire to bet on the oldest commercially-sponsored race in British horse racing. And they’ll all be looking for a betting tip – either to give them the winner or, more likely, to give them somebody to blame. And it has to be said that in this betting life the latter is probably more useful.

As usual in the John Smith’s Cup, there’s no shortage of candidates: the Queen’s Kingdom of Fife, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by champion jockey Ryan Moore, will probably go off favourite and has every chance after beating some very good horses in the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar in May, although his high draw here means he’ll have his work cut out (the effect of the draw on the John Smith’s Cup suits horses drawn in single-figure stalls).

Richard Fahey’s Albaqaa is also sure to be popular given the trainer’s current form on the Knavesmire, but again looks to be drawn too high. Furthermore, this is a race that suits in-form handicappers, and Albaqaa has yet to get a win to his name this season.

But favourites don’t always perform well in the John Smith’s Cup and it’s worth looking for something with a bit more value. Ladies Best, trained locally by Brian Ellison, ticks all the boxes: it’s a five-year-old, with an official rating of 95 and a win and two fourths behind him in 2009. He has a plum draw – stall number one – and doesn’t look to be carrying too much weight.

And with odds of 25/1 available at William Hill, Ladies Best looks well worth a bet. You don’t need to stake a lot at those odds and he looks a great value shout as my John Smith’s Cup betting tip.

(PS don’t forget to cash in on Hill’s great £100 in free bets offer for new customers.)

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