Saturday's Meetings Doncaster Flat 8 Races 11:50-3:45p.m. Aintree N/H 7 Races 12:26-3:50p.m. Kelso N/H 7 Races 12-33-3:55p.m. Wincanton N/H 7 Races 12:40-4:05p.m. Down Royal N/H 7 Races 12:55-4:10p.m. Chelmsford A/W 7 Races 3:30-6:30p.m. Keeneland(E) Dirt&Turf 9 Races 3:50-9:40p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
It's a shame that there are only five runners in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, but in case any one of the three more-fancied runners aren't up to scratch, I will go with the old boy in the field, Kemboy. Conditions arre about perfect for him, so at the best price generally available of 11/1, might be worth a small wager. Paul Townend rides for the W P Mulllins yard. Good luck today, folks.
The November Handicap signals the end of the real flat season and, as pretty much every year, the ground is bottomless at Doncaster so I will be passing it over. Fortunately it coincides with the second day of the Breeders’ Cup meeting after the juvenile races on Friday so there are still betting options. It quite amuses me that the nine Breeders’ Cup races are bookended with a dirt maiden race (worth $94.5k), a dirt allowance claimer (worth $112.8k) and a turf conditions race (worth $220.5k). Shantisara should collect the last of those having chased home a stablemate in a Grade 1 at this track last time. The going report at Keeneland must be the most detailed I have ever seen: On the Dirt course it is Fast; and has been Harrowed, Rolled, Watered and Harrowed – Current Average Moisture 18.5 per cent, Total Water Applied 24,000 gallons. On the Turf course it is Firm; and it was Mowed After Training (Friday) – Grass Height 4 inches, Current Average Moisture 31.3 per cent, Going Stick Penetration 6.2, Average Shear 7.5, Index 6.6 (no, I do not know what those last two mean either!). If Flightline is the best horse in the world, he should justify the long odds on in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (9:40 UK time), although he has not been seen since trouncing three rivals in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, where the dirt track was described as Fast like today. In the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (4:29), most British eyes will be on Highfield Princess, looking to cap a successful season that includes victories in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, Nunthorpe and the Flying Five. The York form was hardly done any favours by runner-up The Platinum Queen, who trailed in second last in the Juvenile Turf Sprint; and last year’s winner of this race, Golden Pal, returns to defend the title. Both of those front two in the market are too short for me to get interested and if I was looking for an each way at a price, Kevin Ryan’s Emaraaty Ana with Ryan Moore aboard looks overpriced as he was fourth in this race at Del Mar last term and has taken the same warm-up route to this year’s race. Godolphin may be collecting the prize money in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (5:10) with Bill Mott’s favourite Cody’s Wish, winner of the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga last time; where the main dangers might be Steve Asmussen’s Gunite and Bob Baffert’s Grade 2 winner Laurel River. From the British point of view, the banker on the card looks to be Nashwa in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (5:50) over a mile and a quarter. There is no Japanese runner to cause an upset this year and the Gosden filly’s main rivals look to come from this side of The Pond in the form of Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve (possibly better on easy ground) and Oaks winner Tuesday (no win since Epsom, behind the two aforementioned in the Prix de l’Opera). Of the home team, Virginia Joy is of the most interest as she won the Grade 2 Flower Bowl last time, drops a furlong here but did win over ten furlongs on debut. Chad Brown’s other runner In Italian won a Grade 1 at about this trip on her penultimate start but he did have the first four home there, including Rougir, and she was not the favourite of his four. The Breeders’ Cup Sprint (6:30) looks one to avoid with odds on shot Jackie’s Warrior heading the market for a race that often springs surprises. Steve Asmussen’s charge was turned over in the Forego Stakes over seven furlongs but won the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap before that over today’s trip with Willy Boi behind. Last year’s victor Aloha West returns for a final start before heading to stud (same as the favourite) but he was last seen just winning at Churchill Downs in July and his chance seems to be based on reportedly beating the stopwatch in a piece of work a week ago. European runners have a fantastic record in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (7:10) and I think that Modern Games (the best horse in the race on ratings and winner of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on his last trip across The Pond) is going to justify favouritism. The bookies obviously take the same view as me as he is too short to be of interest with Europe’s second string Kinross once again partnered by Frankie and Ed Walker’s Dreamloper giving the raiding party a strong look. Will Pogo try to make the running from stall 1? Of the home team, Todd Pletcher’s course and distance winner Annapolis makes most appeal, having beaten Ivar and Order Of Australia here last time. The other race that has seen European domination is the Breeders’ Cup Turf (8:40) and once again Europe holds a strong hand. Aidan O’Brien’s Broome has ability but rarely puts his nose in front so is he here to make sure they go a good pace for the other Ballydoyle contender Stone Age with Ryan aboard? I simply do not fancy the Derby sixth, who has plied his trade over ten furlongs lately, including third in the Belmont Derby on Firm ground behind Classic Causeway (no wins since) and Nations Pride. After that second, Nations Pride won a ten furlong race at Saratoga and then the Grade 3 Caesars Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct (Classic Causeway behind) at today’s trip. Five year old Mishriff has become very disappointing with no win since the 2021 Juddmonte and his last win at this trip was the Dubai Sheema in March 2021. It will be a surprise if Frankie can get him to win and his short price is more a reflection of connections than form. The Appleby second string is Rebel’s Romance for James Doyle but this looks a big step up from his two wins in Germany at Hoppegarten and Cologne, as those were weak Group 1 races. Many of the home team look to be up against it. The best piece of collateral form tying several of them together was the course and distance Stakes race that Highland Chief won last time, where Channel Maker was fourth and Red Knight eighth on Good ground. Prior to that eight year old Red Knight won on Firm dirt at Colonial Downs; and he does seem to do most of his winning on fast ground but at Grade 2 and 3 level. However, the ace in the pack for the home team is unquestionably WAR LIKE GODDESS. She was beaten favourite in last year’s Filly & Mare (won by the Japanese) and has won three of her four starts this term, her only defeat being second to Virginia Joy in the Flower Bowl (form that could be franked earlier). Her first two wins were in weak races and last time she beat Bye Bye Melvin in a $315k Stakes race at Aqueduct. She looks to have been trained for this race by Bill Mott so I am going with the English Channel mare to give a pound and a beating to three year old Nations Pride.
Aintree 14,11 Al Dancer 5/1 15,18 Sao 4/1 15.50 Bois Guillbert 14/1 e/w sky four places, three others Down Royal 13,58 Pinkerton 11/4 Doncaster Small bet 15,13 Deja Vu 35/1 e/w bet365 six places, sky 28/1 seven places
The next Pertemps qualifier at Aintree today (we've already had Cheltenham and Newbury and next Monday is Kempton) and I think it is too early for protagonists to be thinking about March so most will be trying to win the 15 grand on offer today, rather than fiddle their way into the first 4. After 2 relatively highly rated winners (Koshari 149 last year and Unowhatimeanharry off 148 the year before) this year's field looks much more "run of the mill" with all bar the bottom 2 in the 130s. Deise Aba and Remastered were 2nd and 3rd respectively in last year's renewal and ought to be on the premises again but Remastered is better treated at the weights. I think this will be a "Pipe" opener for the other Pond House inmate (excuse the pun) Gericault Roque whilst Flight Deck hasn't been seen since landing last season's Carlisle qualifier 11 months ago. He only went up 3lbs for that but, given connections, he may actually be looking to qualify today and then be put away for the final. The bottom two are both unexposed but up in class today. I'll take a chance that they will be trying to win with Flight Deck
Great to see my old favourite Sceau Royal out again in the Elite Hurdle and he looks to have everything just right for the hat-trick bid. Looks a very winnable renewal for him. Earlier on the card the Badger Ales Trophy seems to revolve around Frodon - if Bryony can get a soft lead she can dominate from the front and will be very difficult to get past. Cap Du Nord should give e/w backers a good run for their money.
There might be some early Triumph Hurdle clues in the opener at Down Royal with Elliott throwing 2 arrows against the hot fav Cougar. Fil D'Or took this last year before finishing 2nd in the Triumph.
W h double odds bet on spirit of the games was 13/2 now 13s ew in the Aintree 211 they are also paying 5 places
What a hell of a race that was. Kemboy ran his heart out but Envoi Allen was just too good. A top-class Chase, it really was!
Hopeful Cold Stare will run a good race in the finalé at Doncaster (15:45) over 7f. Apprentice Handicap, so I hope young Tyrese Cameron (5) is up to the task for the David O'Meara yard. 5/1 best price at time of writing.
I was right about the odds on shot in the Sprint. He looked in trouble at the top of the stretch and never even overhauled the rail runner. Delighted for Juddmonte’s US operation as the winner looked really good in the preliminaries and his form was good enough to justify his talking part. Nashwa illustrated why short priced favourites should be watched not backed as the Oaks winner confirmed Epsom form with her even over the shorter trip. Anybody that did Emaraaty Ana each way with the British bookies will be annoyed that it was showing at 40/1 in the States and they only got half those odds as the British bookies almost exclusively refuse to accept local odds anymore for International races. Punters who got on Modern Games with British bookies did better as even the Yanks figured that the QEII second was the best horse in the race and sent him off Evens. He was in a pocket round the final bend but once Buick went to the outside he mowed them all down. Delighted for Appleby and Godolphin but I bet the chestnut is packed off to stud. Delighted for Charlie Appleby that he got a Breeders’ Cup double – even it was the wrong one for a lot of punters. The race was a bit of a mess and Rebel’s Romance was forced wide at the turn into the straight but I think the pace was too strong up front as all the front runners faded; and Nations Pride and War Like Goddess were fifth and sixth most of the way, with only the latter featuring in the finish. So this may not go down as one of the great Breeders’ Cup Turf winners. Perhaps Flightline is the best horse in the world – Life Is Good went off like a scolded cat and only one horse went with him. The rest were ten lengths behind. On the turn into the stretch Flightline went to the front and that was that.
Yes, but Bryony Frost needs to learn how to use her whip better in her left hand. She lost a race last week at Wetherby by not using it and allowing her mount to veer left into the other horse - and she gave lengths away on Frodon by letting him repeatedly run left.
