FOR many weekends in this season of seasons, we’ve been spoiled for choice, with Group 1s on each day, but it’s slimmer pickings this week.

That is not to say that there isn’t top-class talent on show because in Benbatl, who takes on today’s highest class race in Britain, the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, we have a top-class 125-rated operator.

That said, this Godolphin horse seems to be a little underrated. That is possibly because he does a lot of his racing outside of Britain, but he has done that racing very successfully, with Group 1 wins in Germany, Dubai and Australia. He also finished second to Winx in a Cox Plate and on his most recent start, finished third to Maximum Security in the Saudi Cup.

Incidentally when he finished third in Riyadh, he scooped over £1.5 million in prize money. If he wins today’s big race at Goodwood, he’ll earn £34,000. The new Saudi races of course are astronomical in their monetary worth, but you can’t blame connections of good horses like Benbatl for looking abroad.

In fairness to Godolphin, their operation likely places a larger emphasis on the prestige of British racing and the goal for Benbatl must be a Group 1 win on his home soil, which will go nicely with his collection to date.

Race fitness was a concern when he was allowed to go off at 4/1 when making his seasonal debut in the Group 2 Joel Stakes around this time last year, but he bolted up by five lengths there. It’s much the same case today; he has 5lbs in hand of second favourite Regal Reality on today’s terms, but was freely available to back at 9/4 yesterday evening.

Torrential rain in England yesterday has made conditions very testing. That is a negative for son of Dubawi has done most of his racing on good ground so he could be vulnerable on that count.

Elsewhere, the ITV cameras will also be at Newmarket for the Listed Hopeful Stakes (2:05) and Windsor for the Listed August Stakes (2:40) and Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes (3:15). The latter track must survive a 6:30am inspection. The in-form Hollie Doyle will be hoping it gets the go-ahead because she has a reasonable chance of adding a fourth group race win this season on Roger Charlton’s Extra Elusive in the feature contest.

For those without Racing TV, the racing is live on ITV’s main channel today and tomorrow’s ITV3 coverage of the Goodwood and Perth meetings are on Virgin Media One.

HALF of the eight-runner field for today’s Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes at Navan are engaged in the Comer Group Irish St Leger on Irish Champions Weekend tomorrow week.

Aidan O’Brien’s Galileo colts Emperor Of The Sun and Shoshone Warrior are engaged in both races, while impressive last-time-out winners Gold Maze and Galileo Chrome (by Australia) are also looking to book their tickets to the final classic of the season.

However the most interesting horse in the race is perhaps Johnny Murtagh’s rapidly progressive Red Kelly. The three-year-old bolted up at Leopardstown off a mark of 68 and then defied a 21lb-higher mark to win the Ulster Derby.

He hit the line hard over the extended mile-and-a-half trip at Down Royal so today’s test should suit him well and if he lands a hat-trick, connections will surely be tempted to pay a supplementary fee into the Leger and go for gold in two weeks time.

Top jumps action

in the south east

UNUSUALLY for this early in the year, of the nine runners in today’s two-mile BoyleSports-sponsored conditions chase at Wexford, six are rated 144 are above.

Jumps fans won’t be complaining, with the likes of Paloma Blue, Us And Them, Ornua and Duca De Thake well known to them. What’s more, we have a winter feel given heavy rain in recent days has ensured a soft surface, which is probably the main reason for the quality on show.

Us And Them has a good chance at the weights, but for all of his talent, he only has one win in 15 chase starts, his beginners’ chase win at Navan. Amazingly, he has finished second on all five of his starts after that win, four of those at Grade 1 level.

The one that could be underrated is the 11-year-old Westerner Point, a Wexford specialist. Eoghan O’Grady’s gelding has won three of his four starts at the south east track and handles heavy ground well. He may be the least ‘sexy’ of some of these established jumpers, but is rating 146 over fences himself, so shouldn’t be underestimated.