Sunday's Meetings Fairyhouse Flat 8 Races 1:00-5:05p.m. Sailsbury Flat 8 Races 1:15-5:20p.m. Sligo N/H 7 Races 1:55-5:25p.m. Stratford N/H 7 Races 2:03-5:33p.m. Perth N/H 7 Races 2:15-5:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Place a bet in the Virtual Betting shop here Good Luck
The Group 1 Prix Jean Prat is the highlight over at Deauville today and there is plenty of UK/Irish interest. Charlie Appleby's Naval Crown is narrowly favoured over Aidan's Battleground as early favourite for what is now a 7F race. Naval Crown was 4th in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and then dropped back in trip for the Jersey Stakes, where he finished runner-up to Creative Force who ran well in the July Cup today. He had earlier scored an upset win over stablemate Master Of The Seas in Meydan and he has not been overly busy this season. Battleground was backed but flopped in the Newmarket Guineas but he ran better when third in the St James Palace Stakes in a race where nothing got into the same parish as winner Poetic Flare. That was on good to firm ground though and it is listed as Very Soft at Deauville on the Racing Post website and Heavy on the ATR website. I am not sure he will enjoy the ground. Former sparring partners of St Mark's Basilica, Thunder Moon and Wembley have gone in polar opposite directions to the Eclipse winner so far this season. Neither colt has shown any evidence of having trained on so far this year. Hard to see either making a Phoenix like rise from the ashes today. Mehmento has a good bit of ground to make up based on his Jersey run. Erasmo seems to be getting the hang of it for Andre Fabre but is taking a step up in grade now. Colosseo was a rank 80/1 outsider when runner up to St Mark's Basilica in the French 2000 Guineas but the winner could hardly have frnaked that form any better and other winners have come out of the race, none better than Poetic Flare, who was only 6th in the French version. I took a chance here with a horse I liked last year. Midtown looked very promising for Andre Fabre in two starts which he won impressively. I had pencilled him in as a French Guineas possible but the game was up early on, with Lisa Graffard not mentioning the colt at all in a preview of Godolphin possibles for this season. I am assuming he has had a setback that kept him out until this late in the season but it is interesting that Andre Fabre throws him in at the deep end in a Group 1 on his belated seasonal debut. Maybe it is asking a lot but Midtown is an unknown quantity and I am assuming Fabre would not be running him if he were not ready. The son of Dubawi won on Heavy both times he ran last year and that could be an asset. The race doesn't look that deep with a few disappointing sorts in the mix. I prefer Naval Crown to Battleground and feel Godolphin may supply the 1-2 here. 2.50 Deauville Midtown 6/1 If he drifts it might be an ominous sign.
Mrs Bouquet 5/2 - The Fairies House 2.10 how this horse has not won recently is hard to comprehend, Ronan Whelan has been managing to get her beat left right and centre by getting in awful positions time and time again, even in a small field sprint earlier in the week he got in trouble on the rail and finished on the bridle beaten no distance. Granted he can map out a route where he won't get stuck today, you must assume connections think the horse is still capable of winning. Given a clear run through, she looks to have the beating of these on recent runs. I will be majorly disappointed should she not win today.
15:25 Perth - Dancing Doug (Hasn't won for a long time, but overall form gives him a good chance in this event. Conditions should suit pretty well. 8/1 generally available at time of writing. Callum Bewley rides for trainer A.C. Whillans.)
There has been early moves for a few runners down the market and Mrs Bouquet has drifted to 10/3 now so I've had a bit more on. It has been raining intermittently here most of the morning though, and if the ground does turn into any form of soft, I could be in trouble.
Money across the board for Midtown this morning, now 4/1 at best. Hopefully that is a promising sign. In Ireland I did Hapipi Go Lucky and Schiele in singles and a double.
But of a sickener that one. Was in perfect position the whole race but could never pick up the all they way winner and market outsider, Inflection Point, and we lost out by a neck. Shane Foley went for the lead and was never in trouble for getting caught, he had several lengths to make up on some of his rivals on previous form, but as always in these sprints, form often goes out the window. The whole field seemed to be being nibbled at through the day, Infection Point was the only one barring the rank outsider that wasn't fancied, and of course he wins. Onto the next day. Good luck folks.
Well the form book was worth nothing in the Prix Jean Prat as rank outsider at 28/1 Law Of Indices came through to win. The Condon colt had come in rated just 106 and had run in the Commonwealth Cup the time before, so had stamina to prove. The runner up was Thunder Moon, who had been last in the 2000 Guineas and then 7th in the St James Palace. He was not without support today and I had a vision of another of my ex selections coming through to win but he narrowly failed after running a cracker to show his first glimmer of finding last season's form. My pick Midtown was out the back early on and looked to have plenty to do. He did come with a good looking run but just seemed to tire in the final furlong and he finished third. He was entitled to need this after missing the start of the season and he ran a great race for one so inexperienced. Unless he bounces next time, Midtown should build on a very promising effort pitched into Group 1 company. Naval Crown and Battleground, who were fighting for favouritism early on, were both disappointing. Battleground looked dubious to me on the going and he went out like a light. I had been a bit surprised to see Wembley tipped last night and he could manage only sixth place today. Over in Ireland Hapipi Go Lucky won narrowly at 11/2, while Schiele faded into 3rd after trying to make all. The winner of that race was 16/1 after having been ninth in his first race showing little encouragement. The one winner left a small profit overall on the day so will see what there is for tomorrow.
A couple of very good rides today, Charlie Hammond on board Espressino in the last there, Seán Flanagan aboard All Class in Sligo with a very patiently delivered win on sloppy ground, Graig Nicol aboard First Account mentioned above, but ride of the day goes to 10lb claimer Julie McDonald in Fairyhouse aboard Miss Louise, who made a sweeping move over 3 out and caught all of them out as she shot clear to retain an unassailable lead. On only her third ride at the track, it's her first winner and the way she made the pros look there, I doubt it will be her last.
Some pretty strange market moves through the day at Sligo too, large priced horses with relatively poor form were apparently being bet into small single figures, non of them shone barring in the final bumper where the winner, State Of Fame was available at 50/1 at one point before being sent off a 5/1 shot and winning well enough from 16/1 shot Call Me Jim and the odds on Willie Mullins runner, who likely won't be staying in the yard too long. Is this the bookmakers controlling gambles to lure muggy bets or is it genuine support in what are likely weak betting markets. I am always pretty cynical when I see these betting patterns and tend to think it is down to bookmaker tomfoolery as most of the horses being punted wouldn't appear to be ones for much faith, always intrigued and bewildered at these moves but they happen from time to time at certain lower key meets, off the radar perhaps they feel, when eyes are elsewhere. Enjoy the game tonight folks.
There was two pretty significant Rule 4's in the race. 20p and 30p. Doesn't explain the odds on shot getting turned over but will have played a part in the market
There was, I mean in general over the whole day of racing there though, there was a fair few "gambles" that failed. I think the bumper one was into around 16/1 after the defectors and then was backed into 5/1. There was plenty of lads running up the home straight leaping up and down so that one was a genuine punt at least.
