Friday 09 September 2016 6:34 pm

Horse racing betting tips: Persuasive and Harzand look the part at Leopardstown

ONLY one of the previous six runnings of the Leopardstown Matron Stakes (5.35pm) has been won by a British trainer, but John Gosden has a great chance of improving that ratio with PERSUASIVE.

The unbeaten filly continues to go from strength to strength having won five on the trot since her debut, the most recent coming in a Group Three at Sandown.

She won that race by three lengths and looks well worth a go in Group One company.

Unsurprisingly, there are a number of candidates looking to end Persuasive’s unbeaten run, including French raider Qemah.

Jean-Claude Rouget’s entry has already proven her credentials at this level having come home in front at Deauville in last month’s Prix Rothschild.

She also showed she is just as good on foreign soil when beating the likes of Nemoralia and Alice Springs to claim the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

There’s no doubt she’s the one to beat, but at the prices she’s just too short. Gosden claimed the prize here in 2009 and I’d rather take the 4/1 available with Coral for him to do the same again.

HARZAND landed a gamble in the Investec Derby when taking full advantage of the conditions and I’ll be backing him to do exactly the same in the Irish Champion Stakes (6.45pm).

Aidan O’Brien’s Minding will prove the biggest hurdle, having won four of her five appearances in 2016, with only a short-head defeat by Jet Setting blotting her season.

But the more rain that falls the better for Harzand and I fancy him to grind his rivals into submission once again with a win before heading to France for a crack at the Arc. Take the 11/4 with Coral.