Each week, our betting offers expert, Del Pugh picks a trio of big races from the upcoming weekends meetings and takes a brief look at the big hitters and the current ante-post favourites in each. 

We have a nice mix of domestic and international races featured this weekend, led by the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, as City Of Troy looks to grab a first win in the race for Aidan O'Brien.

We also have the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, which sees Bravemansgame look to go one better than last year and the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Sunday, as Aintree Bowl Chase winner Gerri Colombe looks to add another Grade 1 victory.

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 *Odds correct at the time of publication and subject to change.  Start times are for UK.

Del Mar hosts the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday evening, with a huge buzz around Epsom Derby winner, City Of Troy who goes in as 7/4 favourite for the race with Paddy Power.

Trainer, Aidan O'Brien is yet to take the spoils in this race, despite some seventeen previous attempts, but this looks to be his best opportunity yet, as he looks to become the first international winner of the race, since John Gosden runner Raven's Pass in 2008.

The main threats come from Fierceness (10/3), who won the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year at Santa Anita and has since won two Group 1 contests. They did struggle in the Kentucky Derby earlier this year, unlike Forever Young (9/2) who finished third in that contest and has won the UAE Derby and the Japan Dirt Classic this year.

With the rest of the field at 10/1 bar, it looks set to be a three-way fight for victory, with City Of Troy in the box seat!

The  Charlie Hall Chase takes place at Wetherby on Saturday afternoon, with a potential field of eleven expected to race, as Gerri Colombe and Hewick are now aimed at the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame (11/10) is the favourite, with the 2022 King George VI winner looking to end a barren run of seven races without victory including a second here last year. 

His biggest threat comes from Grey Dawning (2/1), trained by Dan Skelton and a winner in the Grade 1 - Golden Miller at the festival in March, although this was tempered by a third in the Close Brothers Novices at Aintree a month later. Victories earlier in his career at this venue offer further hope for this talented runner.

Behind these leading contenders French Dynamite (7/1) looks like an interesting proposition, warming up with a 2.25-length win in the Grade 3 - BetVictor Chase three weeks ago, beating Minella Indo and there has also been money for Hang In There (16/1), shortening to as little as 12/1 with some bookmakers, although their hopes depend on the ground firming up.

And lastly, we have the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal. After Gordon Elliott's confirmation that Gerri Colombe will feature, last year's victor is the 4/7 favourite with bookies, ahead of the second that day, Envoi Allen (10/3).

After last year's win, Gerri Colombe was soundly beaten by Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase by 23 lengths, but improved to finish just 3.5 lengths adrift in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He is currently 9/1 for the 2025 edition and a win here could push that price shorter.

Envoi Allen was beaten by a neck in last year's race and has since raced twice, finishing second to Protektorat in the Ryanair Chase and a poor fourth (of seven) in the Melling Chase at Aintree. Behind these, Conflated (8/1) leads the best of the rest, but it will take a supreme effort for either of the leading runners to miss out on the winner's enclosure.

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