I see Highland Reel was sweated up before being beaten by Winx (2 years ago) but, according to Racing Post Cyc, he was beaten 5½l, not 10l
Well I could sit here all day and reel off names. Enable, Winter, Ribchester, Highland Reel, Ulysses, Barney Roy, Churchill to name a few. I don't think she'd be in the first 3 if she where to run in either of the Champion Stakes or the QE2.
Hold on Shergs, what distance are you thinking of. I didn't have a mile in mind for Winx. I would have thought 10-12f. Wouldn't back Ribchester or Churchill over that distance. Not too sure about Barney either (seems to have reached his peak). Cracksman and Ulysses are improving and will be very good 4yos. Highland Reel on fast going would be interesting now. In my view, Enable is unbeatable over 12f; just hope I don't have egg on my face after the Arc
Think you said somewhere, Cyc, that the prize money in Europe was 'rubbish' compared with that on offer in Australia? Very true, but there must be a reason for this and it might well-be that there is just no money left for anything after our pampered, spoilt, and overpaid footballers have been paid their enormous and obscene wages on a weekly basis? Getting rid of bookmakers might help too, but only a little, as the governments will just jack-up the amounts they take from gambling after the departure of the turf accountants? Some of the stuff I have watched over the past few days, I mean, well, between 50k and 90k quidlets a week for just one ****ing player? Give me a break! Rant ends, sod this, think I'll watch a movie I've recorded from good old Filmon!!
From what I've seen so far Shergy, Highland Reel was given a right thrashing by Jack Hobbs in the Irish Derby, but in the Irish Champion Stakes he was beaten about the same as when Winx met him. If we go by the logic you supplied in upping the Champion Stakes form, then Winx is as good as Golden Horn. Whether this is a reliable guide, I don't know, but then again I'm prepared to believe that, unlike you, there is no certainty to how poor Winx is. Surely there must be even a tiny bit of doubt after this. To believe there is not, appears to be a bit one eyed. I'm sure you have two.
Well there are so many variables that come into play when assessing form from across the world. Winx beat Highland Reel in Australia, where as Golden Horn defeated Highland in Ireland in his own back yard. How would Winx's form hold up if she was asked to travel across the world? There is a good reason why outside raiders rarely win middle distance races here in Europe. Tepin is basically the only one I can think of.
A very good reason. The best middle distance horses in America, Australia and Japan (apart from the Arc) don't come over too often. Reasons for that could be lack of financial incentive and/or type of track. Typical example of the latter is that Meydan put a new Tapeta surface down and the yanks stopped going there so they switched back to dirt.
Winx is beating muck in Australia, of that there is absolutely no doubt, a Queens Vase horse was being called a champion over there not too long ago. She is a Group 1 filly but she would have been well beaten in the Irish Champion last season for example. There is nothing around even at So You Think, Its A Dundeel or Atlantic Jewel levels to test Winx in Australia. Its a very weak division just now with the likes of Hartnell and Ivanhoe winning major 1m2 G1s. Horses you wouldnt dream of running in major middle distance race over here.
The interpretation of 'middle' distances in North America is quite quite different to the related understanding in other parts of the world. Remember in Edmonton, Alberta, the longest race on the short racing calendar was over 1m5f. Round and round on the greyhound like track (think Northfields is a bit bigger nowadays, but not much, I fancy), and they used to call this particular race a 'marathon'!
WINX is an odds on favourite for the Caulfield Cup 21.10 and the Cox Plate 28.10, surely she isnt going to run in both. If you knew which one was her target there would surely be a bet to be had ante-post in the other race!
They aren't coming over in their droves, but they have been over often enough to give us an idea of how tough it is for them to win. I bet their strike rates are a lot worse than when our horses travel to other continents. As I say Tepin is pretty much the only horse who's come over and actually won at middle distances, I was amazed she did when she did it, but fair play to her for being the only horse.
She is 100% going for Cox Plate, its the top race in Australia by a distance and she is trying to equal Kingston Towns record of 3 in a row. The way they campaign horses over there I wouldnt be shocked if she ran in both but id imagine it was unlikely. Caulield Cup is a hard race to call, its a handicap, but our bookies offer massive odds antepost about many of the top horses over there if you do your homework and find the right ones for the right races. Hartnell is 6/1 fav with 365 who are more clued up on AUS, 25/1 with Betfair but youll be lucky to get more than £2 with them.
The G1 Grosser Preis Von Baden run over the 12 furlongs has been won by Cape Cross' son Guignol. The winner gets a walk up start in the G1 Breeders Cup Turf at Del Mar in November. The sound kicks in at about 3:10.
Have been to this meeting and others at B-B Iffezheim with my Mum in years gone by. Memories of Lando, Monsun and other great horses spring to mind. Lovely track a few kilometres from the town centre. Used to leave Karlsruhe early in the morning and catch the train to B-B. Day bus pass purchased at the 'bahnhof' for local transport down to casino area then stroll around the gardens and upmarket shops. Light lunch at either the Gasthaus Lowenbrau or other similar nosebag joint followed by buses out to track. Great relaxed atmosphere at track with, as usual, cheap entrance fee (zip for 'Flo') and reasonable prices for grub and booze. Through the late afternoon haze (?) I seem to recall some of the best dressed and beautiful women I have ever seen! After a hopefully successful days punting we would usually return to the town centre for a few (?) drinks for me, a sit in the evening sun listening to a free concert then some mode of transport back to train station for return 'home'.
