Saturday's Meetings Haydock Flat 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Sandown Flat 6 Races 1:50-5:25p.m. Naas Flat 7 Races 2:10-5:40p.m. Beverley Flat 6 Races 2:15-5:12p.m. Leicester Flat 6 Races 2:55-5:50p.m. Bellewstown(E) N/H 8 Races 4:55-8:30p.m. Carlisle(E) Flat 7 Races 5:45-8:52p.m. Nottingham(E) Flat 6 Races 6:12-8:42p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Keith Dalgleish, a trainer I like, sends out his last runner tomorrow in the form of ALRIGHT SUNSHINE in the Old Newton Cup. They have made no secret of the fact that they want to go out on a winner and have backed him ante post from 66/1 into 16/1. Good luck Keith
Sandown racecourse must be getting pretty pissed off at getting the arse end of the pattern races on the flat and over jumps. The Tingle creek is often a pipe-opener and the Celebration Chase is too close to Aintree. The Eclipse has lost much of its lustre and 4 runners this year is hardly box office. Shame as it is a nice track. Nass will notice I didn’t mention the Tolworth (usually a mudbath).
Hasn't Mr Dalgleish though dropped hints suggesting (as someone else once said) that he'll be back. Re Sandown tomorrow. I do like the name of their Sprint - the Coral Charge. Top marks re that. Admittedly, it's not the 'Beverley Bullet' but still well above average when it comes to race monikering.
A horse I have a share in, albeit probably only a hair of it's tail, is running at Haydock tomorrow 3:15. SCAMPI. I also like Dutch Decoy, so will be doing modest stakes as e/w singles and e/w double
I looked at the ante post betting for the Eclipse about a week ago and seven of the first ten in the betting resided at Ballydoyle, so I figured that only a couple would run and the race would reduce to seven or eight runners. So I thought about backing The Foxes each way at 16/1 as I could have three places in a small field. When I saw the field that was declared I was glad I did not have a punt as the horse was not amongst the pathetic field of four chasing nearly three quarters of a million in prize money, with the last home guaranteed over £40k. As a betting medium there is little to like at Sandown at all, as I will not trust the Royal Ascot form so Annaf’s third in the King’s Stand with Marshman seventh, Existent ninth and Raasel tenth does not appeal in the Coral Charge, where Tiber Flow is penalised for winning on the kitty litter and has never won over five. It is possibly a chance for Clive Cox’s improving filly Get Ahead to do just that. Nearly half the field ran unplaced at Royal Ascot last time in the Coral Distaff yet somehow Bridestones – unplaced in three starts this term including the Sandringham – is virtually favourite in a race featuring a filly who was second in a German Group 2 last time. With too much Royal Ascot form in the Coral Challenge, that leaves me with the 4:15 where there appears to be enough form lines to go on. Aikhal has done nothing in his five starts since winning a Group 3 for Aidan O’Brien so there looks little reason to think he will suddenly come good and defy top weight today. Haunted Dream’s only win on turf was more than a year ago in a Class 5 at Beverley and the three at the bottom on the weights only have one win in their last three starts between them: Spirit Of The Bay winning a seven runner event on her penultimate start. Moktasaab was fitted with a visor last time and never challenged, so quite why they retain it today is a mystery. Paradias won over course and distance last time and is raised 5lb, making him a 1lb worse off with the runner-up that day Lord Protector. That one was carried wide by the leader and might reverse the form; and it is notable that Aramaic (fourth, 2lb better) and Spirit Of The Bay (seventh, 5lb better) re-oppose. The mare Tregony races off a career high mark having started her season at Beverley running a respectable fourth under top weight and she may be over priced from an each way point of view. Majestic finished an excellent second in a valuable Epsom handicap where Honiton was a well beaten tenth (did not handle the track) and Lord Protector was only eighth. Last year’s Cambridgeshire winner has obvious claims here. Ignoring that Epsom effort, Honiton still has good claims based on his win at HQ the time before and with Buick aboard he may be the pacesetter again. MUSTAZEED has won both his starts for Harry Eustace, both at Newbury, and is raised 5lb for the latest of those – a short head win under today’s pilot Hayley Turner. Clearly the new yard has coaxed improvement out of him as he defied a 6lb rise last time. The Newbury race can be connected to the Sandown race won by Paradias through Youthful King (third at Sandown, ninth at Newbury) but that looks unreliable as that horse has won twice at Windsor since that debut run. So I will just take the chance that the improving horse will make the most of the weight it receives from its main rivals. At Haydock, I am steering clear of the Lancashire Oaks as I expected Mimikyu to win last time at York and they have dispensed with the hood that she wore to win the Park Hill last term. I think they will be looking to lay her on the exchanges. Of her opponents, I would prefer Silk Sea Road to Time Lock, who she beat over course and distance last time. There appears to be a Haggas hotpot in the Old Newton Cup (3:15) with La Yakel possibly better than his mark of 92 near the bottom of the weights on his seasonal bow. I can put a line through half the field on recent form but there are three or four with excellent claims. Topweight Teumessias Fox has only been dropped 1lb for his dire run when favourite for the Duke Of Edinburgh (Maksud ahead in twelfth) but won easily at HQ the time before and has Harry Davies taking 3lb off today. Sheer Rocks comes in on a hat-trick, raised 5lb for winning at Epsom on Derby Day following up from winning at Ascot for today’s jockey Charles Bishop (Sir Rumi third). The other hat-trick seeker in the field is CUMULONIMBUS and I am hoping that Charlie Fellowes gelding is not under a cloud. He made all to win at HQ on his penultimate start, followed up over course and distance (Onesmoothoperator fourth) and has now won 4 of his last 6 starts. Richard Kingscote does not have to make all the running in this hotter race but will want to be up with the leaders as clearly that suits the horse. If La Yakel is a Group horse in a handicap then the 2lb he is trying to give it is irrelevant.
I have never doubted my love for Sandown Park for many reasons. A really fine racetrack which always put-on first class horseracing, and so it is very sad to see the (sudden?) demise of the Eclipse Stakes with only the four runners. In particular I do remember that elegant, 'ice-cool' and 'smooth-as-silk' Australian jockey, Garnet Bougoure, winning two consecutive Eclipse's on Khalkis and Ragusa in 1963 and 1964. Garnie rode for Paddy Prendergast in those days. He carved a great career for himself in Singapore too on the Malaysian/Singapore circuit, both as a jockey and then as a champion trainer. Garnie was a credit to horseracing, in Ireland and the UK, and later in the Far East. Long may good horseracing continue at this superb Esher racecourse.
Thanks to QuarterMoonII for his usual excellent analyses. Helped me with my selection today, although my current 'form' suggests it's one to avoid. In the (16:15) at Sandown Park, a Class-2 Handicap over 1m2f on good-to-firm ground, the probable favourite, Majestic, should surely run a big race? Ryan Moore rides for the Jack Channon stable. 9/2 is the best price in several places at time of writing. Have a succesful afternoon, folks!
Much as I would like to see Emily win this, there are question marks on the clock, as there are with Paddington. I don't think this is a 2 horse race. Even the 20/1 outsider has a good chance. Not a betting race for me
