Two picks for the weekend....

Friday, 3rd October 2025

Two picks for the weekend….

Arc pointers here….

In ATC today….

Just the two picks for me this weekend….

…. one in the Challenge Cup at Ascot on Saturday and one in the Arc on Sunday….

I’m on BALMACARA in the 3.35 at Ascot on Saturday – up at 14s & 12s (with some 16s & 20s still about in places)….

…. and I’m on CUALIFICAR at 14s & 12s in the 3.05 at Longchamp on Sunday….

That’s the summary….

…. you’ll find all my reasoning below – as per usual….

Oh…. and if you’re looking for the standout place terms on offer – you’ll find them in the Bet Box below….

Read on….

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BALMACARA is a decent-enough price at the 14s & 12s (with some 16s & 20s still about in places) for Saturday’s Challenge Cup at Ascot (3.35)….

I guess there will be plenty of punters who take it as negative that yard jockey Charles Bishop has hopped off the 4yo to ride the yard’s other participant – Great Acclaim….

…. but he can’t ride two at once and his choice of mount has been in sparkling form during the latter half of the summer….

That said Balmacara produced a good performance himself last time at Sandown in a Listed contest….

…. cutting out the running – on disadvantageous terms – and only getting run down late on by a smart operator trained by Charles Hills whose next assignment will be a G1 on the Champions Day card later this month….

Balmacara was put up a hefty 7lbs to a mark of 104 for that defeat but gets to run off the old mark of 97 tomorrow – and that’s got to be seen as a massive plus….

If you know what side of the track is going to be favoured on Saturday afternoon, you’re a better man than me….

There are plenty of occasions where stall 1 would be seen as a negative in a big field handicap up the Ascot straight – and it might prove to be the case again this weekend….

…. but the low numbers were favoured in the big 7f handicap run at the track at the start of September and I’m happy to take my chances….

One thing is for sure – there’s rain forecast across today and Saturday and I’d expect the ground to soften up a fair bit….

…. which won’t be a bother to Eve Houghton Johnson’s charge – and he can run a big one off a sweet mark….

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In the Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday (3.05) I’m siding with CUALIFICAR at the 14s & 12s….

I think the general feeling is that this year’s Prix Niel was a low-quality affair and his win underwhelming….

….and that’s fair enough….

My view is that he produced a personal best on his first go at the 12f trip….

…. and that there’s a strong chance he’s plenty better than that….

He had a nightmare passage under William Buick – trapped on the rail up the straight and with Bay City Roller already striking out for home….

Buick didn’t panic and rode the 3yo like a jockey confident his mount had plenty to give and sufficient time to give it….

…. and when the angle came to get out and the pair swung wide, they finished off with a blistering turn of pace to get up at the line – hitting it well….

It wasn’t the impressive margin of victory you might expect from a horse set on winning Europe’s premier horse race….

…. but what was achieved was produced in adversity and its highly likely the colt would have won a sight easier without the troubled passage….

Andre Fabre announced himself content in the aftermath – and he knows a fair bit about Arc horses having won the race a record eight times….

Cualificar had a good break after going very close in the Prix du Jockey Club in June and has clearly been campaigned with this target in mind….

Two runs – the first probably plenty needed – will have put the polish on and it’s a fair bet this son of Lope De Vega is primed to hit his peak and take a big step forward at exactly the right time….

…. and whilst he hasn’t managed to get one of the coveted lower stalls (1 to 6) he isn’t too far away in stall 8 – and that’s better than being out in the car park like a couple of the Japanese horses….

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Now, just to recap….

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That’s all for today….

I’ll be back with more next week….

Meantime – contact me at – nick.pullen@spapublishinggroup.co.uk

And remember – win, lose or draw – enjoy the racing….

Stay tuned….

Against the Crowd