Sunday's Meetings Fontwell N/H 6 Races 1:00-3:35p.m. Perth N/H 6 Races 1:45-4:30p.m. York Flat 7 Races 2:10-5:20p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
There are some very disappointing fields at York’s Sunday meeting. I know that it is the St Leger meeting and Irish Champions’ Weekend next week but surely trainers must have some lesser lights that could have made the Garrowby Stakes more than four runners. I will leave the NH fixtures to the majority on here who follow the slow plodders. Yesterday I picked two out at Ascot, never had a bet on either and they both won, while my one bet of the day at Haydock was backed to favouritism and well beaten. Over at Longchamp, the feature Prix du Moulin is really about whether Baaeed is the real deal. He won the Bonhams at Goodwood very easily (as expected) and none of the four older horses in today’s race can be considered top draw. Richard Hannon’s Snow Lantern was third in the Sussex with Order Of Australia and Lope Y Fernandez behind, so she is probably the one for the forecast. On the supporting card, impeccably bred Derby disappointment John Leeper contests the Group 3 Prix Du Prince d’Orange but it is hard to get enthusiastic about his latest run in a Sandown listed race where he was well beaten by two old boys. On the other hand, HIGHLAND AVENUE drops in class from a close fourth in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano; and is William Buick’s only ride. Of the home team, Prix Du Jockey Club fourth Saiydabad was well beaten in the Grand Prix de Paris but drops in class whilst Prix Hocquart runner-up Gregolimo won a listed race (Mond fifth) last time and is clearly going the right way.
ALIOMAANA 1:45 Perth 3/1 surely not travelling alone in a box for 450 miles if its not for a win. SWORD OF FATE 4;30 Perth 5/1 ran a decent race from 18lbs wrong at Cartmel recently and the handicapper has dropped him 6lbs. Obvious chance. Singles and a Barney
At York Tom Marquand's rides in a lucky 63/acca. Daniel Muscutt's 3 along with Gulliver in a lucky 15/acca. Forecasts in the races that they clash in and forecasts doubles and trebles. Small stakes so small investment on a usual ****e Sunday of racing.
Fontwell 14,00 Iron Heart 10/3 Perth 14,55 Bright New Eagle 11/4 bet365, others 5/2 York 14,40 Bergerac 8/1 e/w bet365 three places, Sky 15/2 five places
I read a bizarre preview for the Prix Moulin which stated that Order Of Australia had ground to make up with Poetic Flare today. Err, Hello, Poetic Flare isn't in the race! Looking at those who ARE in opposition today it seems they are all playing for second behind Baaeed. The Haggas colt has been the rags to riches story of the season and he earned a 121 rating for thumping a weak looking Group 3 field last time. That official rating leaves him 4 lb clear of his field and he could have more to come. Again, bizarrely, the At The Races preview states that Baaeed was winning that Group 3 race on only his third career start but the son of Sea The Stars has had four races in his lifetime. Is it expecting too much writers to get their facts straight? I am not a big fan of wide margin winners who earn their rating from slaughtering inferior opposition. Looking at Baaeed's latest win, the subsequent form is pretty poor looking. Runner up El Drama was beaten just as far by Real World next time, in a race that is also not working out either. The 3rd home Tasman Bay was 3rd in a Group 2 next time but that looked a dodgy race to me, as it was won by a 101 rated Haggas runner. We will get to see the merit of that race when Highland Avenue attempts to better his 4th place from that same race. Overall, I feel Baaeed has a little bit to prove before being a Palace Pier beater but he faces a rag tag sort of bunch today, hence the very skinny odds of 2/5. Snow Lantern looked good in winning the Falmouth and that race panned out really well. Outside of that race though, the Hannon filly seems more about how good she could be, rather than how good she actually is. She may do better on the slightly faster ground than the soft going she ran on last time though. Lope Y Fernandez seems wildly inconsistent and can't be trusted in my opinion. Novemba is a surprise runner for me here, after a dismal run last time, where she ran 37 lbs below her rating when carrying my money. Based on that effort the German raider seems a shoo-in to be battling with Victor Ludorum for 5th place, given that the Fabre runner looks like he should be carrying one or two Timeform squiggles for his lack of enthusiasm for the game. Order Of Australia was disappointing behind Alcohol Free but that was on soft ground and he was better behind Palace Pier next time when 3rd and Poetic Flare was runner up to Gosden's champion Palace Pier. That seems a pretty good run and I went with him today as a fun play against the favourite. 2.48 Longchamp Order Of Australia 9/1 Saver FC with Fav
I think the favourite wins but i cant stand the jockey nor would i back a horse at that price anyway so I've had a go on Victor Ludorum ew. 11/1 3 places
Well, I said I was against the form of Highland Avenue's last race and he has come out and finished stone bonking last today. Hard to fathom that he was 3/1 today and that the original shortish favourite Saiydabad ended up 11/4. The latter was poor last time but that was over 12F on soft ground and he had previously been 4th in the French Derby from box 11 in a race where the 1-2-3 came from Traps 2, 4 and 1. John Leeper fared little better in 7th place today but he's been a hype horse all season. I was shaking my head at the talk about the Derby for him and much was made of him being named for John Dunlop. The fact is that he is a 106 rated horse who was thrashed in an awful looking Listed race last time when 5/4 Fav. I feel the horse deserves more realistic targets.
The Handicapper did a cracking job with the 2.40 York. They were spread across the track and plenty had chances, with Bergerac just managing to get his head in front. Ayr Gold Cup Favourite Great Ambassodor is coming up in the next at York but I went with Tabdeed at 2/1. He is rated 8 lbs higher than Great Ambassador for now and funny things happen in small fields sometimes. The latter horse looked too short to me at Evens. 3.15 York Tabdeed 2/1
A bit harder work for Baaeed today, you would probably have gotten massive odds on Victor Ludorum getting as close to him as he did today. In the end it was Order Of Australia who held on for second place and landed the saver forecast for me. The CSF paid £6.24 and paid for the day. I don't think this was a win to make Palace Pier cower in fear but Baaeed kept up his winning sequence without really warranting a rise in his rating. This was a much better run from Victor Ludorum today but both he and Lope Y Fernandez are not reliable. The latter horse was last today and could not even beat Novemba home, despite the filly setting off at a suicidal pace as 100/1 outsider. Snow Lantern was disappointing and you would have expected better getting 8 lbs from Victor Ludorum. Overall I don't think it was a strong Group 1 but the show rolls on for Baaeed but I feel 2/1 for the QEII is short enough. Later on Tabdeed could not match the pace of Great Ambassador, who seemed to confirm that he is a bull of a sprinter who is higher than his rating of 101 coming in to today. I saw no reason why he wouldn't go close there and had a bet at 7/1. Ayr Gold Cup Great Ambassador 7/1
