Ten Sovereigns can drop back to 6F but I don't think he will trouble Calyx at all. That was not a good Guineas in my opinion. Ten Sovereigns never ran beyond 6F last season and neither did Calyx. Ten Sovereigns was doomed for me when he went to the Middle Park, as it is a graveyard for potential milers. Calyx was entered in the Prix Morny, also a graveyard for potential milers. I don't buy into campaigning a horse as a Sprinter at 2YO and then deciding that it is a must that that they try a mile in the Guineas at 3YO, "Just to see" Harking back to 1986 is a pretty poor argument for what is relevant in 2019. The game has changed an awful lot since those days. I didn't feel Ten Sovereigns looked likely to win at any stage today. They seemed to ride him with very little confidence one way or the other in a nothing race from a planning point of view. I can't see what help Ten Sovereigns got from running in the Guineas, O'Brien said before the race that the distance was a big question and it seemed that punters were the ones with faith he would stay.
The winner of the handicap later would have gone close to winning the 2000Gns (see above). Says it all for me
The ITV team take a lot of stick regarding their coverage but pre race were banging on about how huge the stand rail position was. So how come only three jockeys thought the same? 1st, 2nd and 6th.
No hard luck story from me! However, a French horse called Royal Marine (of all names) seems to have got lost. If he turns up in your back garden please return to France DHL (recipient will pay bill) asap. Thank you.
Views on the classic generation based on yday vs the older generation? The likes of Lauren’s, Barney Roy, Auxerre, Beat the bank to me don’t look the greatest of older horses (Lauren’s the exception really) but has she trained on?
Well Murtagh seemed to disagree with stands side bias. It's no good, with a whole lot of racehorse under you, holding up behind a slow leader. Shine So Bright ensured Gracian Magna won yesterday: he may have won anyway. Today the winner provided her own pace.
Skitter Scatter was mince. Probably didn't stay but the difference from the Moyglare to today was far more than just stamina. She hasn't trained on on the evidence of that run and John Oxx is out of form and out of the game if that's his best horse. Just Wonderful was a bit slowly away and never looked likely, she ran OK but no more than that really. Fairyland was a huge drifter last night but was supported today, her 5th place leaves it unclear to me where she goes next. I would be dubious if they went sprinting without having a try in the Irish Guineas first. Mot Juste was a massive drifter last night and was bitterly disappointing but stablemate Qabala stayed on for a solid enough effort. In reality it may turn out that she just picked off the non-stayers and those whose race was already run. Hermosa was the one to keep the O'Brien bandwagon rolling and nobody else seems capable of matching the maestro, perhaps it is a minefield for punters trying to pick which one to be on but the mob-handed approach seems to be successful, even if it's not the favoured ones in the betting who oblige. Hermosa surely goes favourite for the Oaks now in a year devoid of contenders. Iredessa has never quite excited me and she was one spot behind my each=way pick Iconic Choice today. Dahdhu was another huge let down and the Fred Darling form was flushed down the pan today. Angel's Hideaway ran well and I feel her presence, as a well exposed filly from last season, casts a poor look to the quality of this year's renewal. There never really was a star filly last season and I reckon the best of this year's crop may be in France with De Royer-Dupre. US filly Newspaperofrecord was beaten on her return to action last Friday, so that casts a question mark on her. Well done anyone who got Hermosa, she wasn't on my radar today.
Pink Dogwood is holding on as FAV for the Oaks. I can't have that when she won an egg and spoon, while Hermosa won the Guineas.
I gave the winner a look a few days ago as I had a decent bet on her in the Fillies Mile, she ran 2nd in 2 G1s at the end of last season so she was backable, if she was Obriens only runner she would probably have been 2nd fav. The fact that she appeared down the pecking order and a massive price is what put me off, in hindsight with this yard you shouldnt be scared of backing their supposed 3rd and 4th strings as they dont care who wins on them.
Totally underwhelmed by the standard of 3yos this year. Still hoping for an unraced or lightly raced good'un to come out of the woodwork. But not long left. Not too hopeful
Too Darn Hot may yet surface as a good one, whether that be at a mile or further. Persian King could also be decent, given that he is the only horse to beat Magna Grecia. The fillies have looked weak this season and the one I like most as a prospect is the French daughter of Pivotal, Siyarafina. Alain De Royer-Dupre trains this filly and she won mightily impressively on debut before following up in very taking style at Longchamp next time out. Settled at the back of her field, she was purposely held up and with next to no pace in the race her jockey had to ask her earlier than he wanted to cover those kicking to try to pinch it from the front. In the end she picked them up easily and the jockey coasted home on her. I feel Siyarafina has as potent a turn of foot as I have seen from a filly this season and she clearly stays a mile well. The plan is to supplement her for the French 1000 Guineas, which is run this coming Sunday. This was Siyarafina winning last time and I think she does well to more or less post the field a start and then claim them like a piece of work on the gallops:-
its only early may and most of the best 2yos missed the 2000, nothing special was expected from the 1000, think the 3 best we have seen from runners so far are Calyx, Persian King and Magna Grecia, still got French Guineas then all the Derby trials. I think the Dante could produce something this year, lot of good entries for it.
That was a reasonable time too considering the ground and the way she won. The colts' race 35 mins later was only 0.39secs faster, was a tighter finish and the winner carried 3lb less than the filly. So yes, it does look promising. On the same card there was a 4yo making his debut over 7f and he managed to win in 0.15s fast. Not bad on gs ground for its first run. Tour to Paris; might be worth keeping an eye on
Tour To Paris is very interesting. I am not at all sure of his previous racing career, if any, but he recently transferred to Pia Brandt from a Hungarian trainer. Rated 108 by the Racing Post for his win, he is already the best progeny of sire Fuisse. Fuisse was a very talented horse, whose highlight was winning the Group 1 Prix Moulin. He has done very little at stud though and has a modest fee of 2500. Ironically, some of the horses he beat in the Moulin have become good sires. Lope De Vega, Siyouni and Paco Boy all finished behind Fuisse in that Moulin race. Tour To Paris's dam was out of a staying influence but she was raced at 6 and 7 Furlongs. She has produced little of note so far but that looked a good performance from her son.
I see Martyn Meade is running Advertise in the French Guineas just 8 days after a feeble effort at Newmarket. Meade is apparently mystified by the performance but offered the possible explanation that he might not have had the horse fit enough. The trainer said coming into the Newmarket race that the colt was raring to go and I don't really see how a pathetic run will have put him in better shape in the space of 8 days. Far more likely that the colt hasn't stayed, or hasn't trained on, or a combination of the two. A repeat performance in France will surely have run the guts out of the horse and soured him for wherever they do go long term. I would have thought a wait and observe approach would have been sensible instead of reloading and potentially firing another blank. Seems an odd tactic to me, maybe if there was another 2000 Guineas the day after the dismal run, Meade would have been right in there with Advertise. You can get 16/1 Advertise for the French race, I'll pass thank you.
What's your thoughts on Kevin Ryan's East in the French 1000 She ran a very good second in breeders cup to newspaper of record
A best priced 8/1. She is going to France because they feel she runs bends better than the straight but quirky undulations of Newmarket. Classy filly and her breeders cup runner up spot puts her somewhere near the top of the tree in terms of achievement. The negative for me is the yard but maybe my judgement is clouded after such a poor showing from Emaraaty Ana in the 2000.
Thanks for that insight stick I read on sporting Life they like her turn of foot and the way the french run she will suited by it Also remember him going to France with grey gatsby and winning well so you never know What's your view on the French 2000 stick
