US racing tips: in-form Tom Collins has three strong fancies at Belmont Park

Jewel Of Arabia
9.32 Belmont Park
3pts win

Pat On The Back
10.36 Belmont Park
1pt win

Shamrocket
11.08 Belmont Park
2pts win

The top-class action continues at Belmont Park with a highly competitive ten-race card and hopes are high that my good streak will continue with a number of strong fancies.

Christophe Clement's Jewel Of Arabia is the nap of the night and will hopefully get the ball rolling in the $53,000 maiden special weight (9.32) contest.

A $140,000 purchase as a foal, Jewel Of Arabia boasted an improving worktab before making her debut in the Stillwater Stakes at Saratoga in July last year. The fact Clement introduced her in a black-type contest against previous winners indicated that he held her in the highest regard.

She was sent off as the second favourite that day, which was further indication of her talent, and she ran a great race to be beaten just a length and a half to third behind My Italian Rabbi and Fierce Lady.

That duo went on to finish third and first respectively in the $200,000 Seeking The Ante Stakes on their next outings, so the form stacks up exceptionally well.

Jewel Of Arabia was given a month to recover from her debut effort and was sent off as the 3-5 favourite to make amends in maiden special weight company, but found one too good.

On paper that looks a disappointing effort, but the winner went on to win a stakes race on her next outing and Jewel Of Arabia would have won by a margin had she not drifted off the turn and hung into the middle of the track in the straight.

She was clearly the best filly in the field, but she just ran green and failed to change her legs.

Her recent works have been encouraging, this trip is perfect and although she is drawn wide, her morning line price of 2-1 is miles too big. I make her a 1-2 shot.

The prolific and highly talented Mr Buff will go off at short odds for the feature $125,000 Commentator Stakes (10.36) and although he has won 14 of 36 outings and won by a whopping 20 lengths last time, I want to take him on at the prices.

He doesn't seem to run to his best at this venue (much better at Aqueduct) and has been stuffed in this race the last two years. Mr Buff might get an uncontested lead but he occasionally fails to switch leads in the straight and there are too many worries to support him at odds-on.

I prefer the chance of last year's winner Pat On The Back, whose morning line price of 5-1 is based on the fact that he didn't run to form in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile last time out.

He was pitched in against the likes of Maximum Security that day and was clearly out of his comfort zone, so I'm willing to just put a line through that effort.

Pat On The Back returns from a six-month layoff here, which isn't a worry given he won after a four-month absence this time last year, and will have been primed for this by trainer Jeremiah Englehart.

He is expected to get the ideal trip just behind the speed and flew home in this race last year to beat Mr Buff by three-quarters of a length.

The last selection of the night is Christophe Clement's Shamrocket in the closing $64,000 1m2f maiden special weight (11.08) event.

This son of Tonalist is beginning to look a touch frustrating with four places from five starts, but he clearly has a lot of ability and just needs that confidence-boosting victory to get his career started.

He is rock-hard fit after a couple of starts at Gulfstream Park in April, the latest of which saw him take second behind the improving Venezuelan Hug, who has won again since.

That looks a strong piece of form and from the perfect draw in gate two he is expected to finally get off the mark.

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