15:05 Ascot - The Revenant (Classy French gelding, should give a good account in this Group 1 event.)
The Revenant goes in the ground and he was second here last season. He did have the best part of a year off before making his recent winning return and there might be a question of a bounce. He seems sure to give a good account otherwise though. Not many with a real shout here. Century Dream has a good record on soft but he wasn't very good in this race last season on heavy and the stable are only about 7% this past two weeks. Persian Pier should take the beating and I hope he wins it but for a speculative bet I went for Roseman. He thumped Century Dream on very soft late last season and if you forgive a poor effort last time he remains with some scope for improvement. 3/05 Roseman 28/1
Really did see it out well. Was worried at the start because he got pretty warm. That's me done for the day, will hang on to my small bag of shekels! Hindsight if you like, I don't care, but I really could not understand some of the horses in this race being backed, as they were without doubt not suited to the mud, on form, on breeding, you name it.
Good shout Swanny!...Horse was definitely ready..almost wound up! I watched the ITV morning show this morning which I normally avoid. All experts were saying defeat for palace pier was out of the question. They could not see any of the others being able to challenge..
You damn near got me, Grendel! Unfortunately did not do a forecast, straight, reverse, or otherwise! Mustn't be greedy though!
Very good effort from Roseman but not quite enough to beat the French horse. There is never much value with the short prices in end of season races in gutters and it was another disappointment for the Gosden team with Palace Pier. I worry a bit about Mishriff becoming another for the team in the Champion Stakes. His French Derby win seemed to come in a weak affair and he faced mostly the same opposition next time. Victor Ludorum has been a huge disappointment since winning the French Guineas and being mentioned in the same breath as Mill Reef by Andre Fabre. That looks a joke now and I feel Mishriff may be exposed as short of the top class today. Lord North is another who seemed better at the time than the form has actually worked out since. Addeybb has a terrific strike rate and was second here last year but for all that he has seemed to have been well placed by the trainer and a win from Lord Glitters last time does not look great form. Magical is consistently good and dethroned Ghaiyyath last time. She's a bit short now though. I went with Skalleti, who won't mind the ground. His win from Sottsass is probably not to be taken literally, as the subsequent Arc winner was having his prep for the big race when they met but Skalleti arrives in form and should run his race on ground he likes. Likely to be short enough for Serpentine and Pyledriver, who has been fannied about by his trainer at the wrong trip. 3.40 Ascot Skalleti 8/1 for a rare French raiding double on these shores.
Addeybb saves my bacon! Lost plenty of beans however! Tempus can do me a big favour in the last ..... ketchup and sausages to complete me dinner
Champions Day was ****ing crap - again. I gave it a chance, watched all the races with an open mind but it was just ****e (apart from Hollie Doyle lighting up the early part of the card). They need to fundamentally re-plan it. You are odds of 1/5 to get ****ty ground, it is too near the Arc meeting, too near the Breeders Cup. It is just an absolute ****-up from start to finish. Get rid, and while they are at it, bin Shergar Cup day too. All the crap in one place at Ascot. Pull it forward to make the festival around the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes meeting end of July. You've had the classics that matter, you've had Royal Ascot and the Eclipse, now make the King George meeting an all-age summer championship across sprint, mile and middle distance divisions. Plenty of time thereafter to focus on an autumn campaign. It is so bleeding obvious. Looking forward to the jumps card at Kempton tomorrow.
