Saturday's Meetings Doncaster Flat 7 Races 1:15-4:50p.m. Lingfield A/W 7 Races 1:25-5:00p.m. Chester Flat 7 Races 1:35-5:00p.m. Leopardstown Flat 9 Races 2:15-6:40 p.m. Bath(E) Flat 8 Races 3:28-7:15p.m. Musselburgh(E) Flat 7 Races 4:10-7:22p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Chancing two outsiders tonight [Bet 365] 7.22 Musselburgh-John Kirkup @ 33-1...each way [4 places] Carmina Burana @ 11-1...Win
Irish Champions Weekend already looks like a bit of a damp squib. I won’t be touching the Saturday Leopardstown card with Aidan O’Brien having the favourites in the Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes (3.20) and the feature Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (5.30); and on Sunday at The Curragh the favourites in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes (2.40), Group 1 National Stakes (3.50) and Group 1 Irish St Leger Stakes (4.25). They might as well rename it the Ballydoyle Benefit; that is how uncompetitive Irish racing has become. The final Classic on Town Moor is probably also going to Ballydoyle thanks to almost all of the ante post fancies dropping out leaving O’Brien with three of the seven runners including the Derby winner Lambourn, comprehensively beaten in the Great Voltigeur when front running tactics were dropped; where Carmers finished ahead of him in second and Stay True was ahead in fourth. Will Sean Levey be trying to make all today? Three of the field finished ahead of Scandinavia at Royal Ascot, including winner Carmers, who looks most likely to stop the O’Brien front two in the betting. The Champagne Stakes (1.50) makes no betting appeal as the front two in the betting trade at less than 2/1 with the form pick Gewan trying to emulate the trainer’s Chaldean after winning York’s Acomb Stakes being taken on by easy Sandown winner Oxagon from the Gosden barn, although I expect the son of Night Of Thunder to beat the son of Frankel. The Park Stakes (3.00) features three horses that have disappointed, failing to win a race between them this term. Audience retains the blinkers that did not have the desired effect in the City Of York Stakes last time, King’s Gamble now has the blinkers fitted after a poor effort in the Hungerford and last year’s Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light has gone backwards since finishing third in the Guineas. Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony has not been seen since winning first time out and was second in the Prix Du Pin at Longchamp this week last year but was subsequently behind Quinault in the Challenge Stakes. It would not be a surprise to see Andrew Balding’s Marvelman (third in the Hungerford) go close under Oisin Murphy. I will be watching the Portland Handicap (2.25) with interest as I have put the winner of the Newmarket Grey Horse race, Addison Grey, in my ITV7. He did me a favour that day but the Portland is a bad race for three year olds and the 7lb claimer from HQ has been replaced with Rossa Ryan so he is up against it with a 5lb higher mark as well. I note that it has been absolutely smashed in the betting. Was 8/1 last night, now 4/1 favourite. In desperation looking for a bet, I have turned to the Chester 2.40, a stayers’ handicap where half the field look to have little chance on current form and the favourite holds that position because he is a hurdler trained by Gordon Elliott. I can rule out Sagaro Stakes winner Yashin giving weight away all round as he has been last home in his last three races. Seven year old Prydwen has failed to place this term and nine year old Zoffee has not been seen since finishing second last in the Ascot Stakes. Eleven year old Torcello has not been seen since finishing down the field in an Epsom handicap in June on his only start of 2025. Gibside won here over further in May, followed that with a third at this trip (Sheradann last) but has not troubled the judge in three races since (eighth last week in race where Artisan Dancer was second). Sixpack has yet to win beyond fourteen furlongs and was tailed off on heavy ground returning from a long layoff eleven days ago, hardly inspiring confidence. Tribal Star’s two career wins have both been on the kitty litter (last time at Dundalk) and his career best was fourth in the Northumberland Plate; and his only placing on turf was when second on debut when trained by Charlie Appleby. Six year old Youthful King looks like the pace angle today and won at Sandown in June over fourteen furlongs. He has never won at this trip and was third when last seen in August. Spirit Mixer won this race last term and won the Northumberland Plate; however, the seven year old was only fifth in a race on Shergar Cup day and seventh when last seen in a York handicap where Artisan Dancer was runner up. The favourite Ndaawi was awarded the Galway Hurdle (no obstacles to jump here) but his last three flat starts have seen him last in the 2024 Cesarewitch, winning a mile and a half charity race and seventh in the 2024 Ascot Stakes. So he looks eminently opposable today. Sheradann finally opened his British racing account with a win on the Southwell kitty litter beating Artisan Dancer a length. However, I am going with ARTISAN DANCER to end a series of three seconds (most recently beaten in a photo at York last Sunday) as Charlie Johnston’s gelding has had several of today’s rivals behind this season on turf and only Gibside has finished in front when winning the Chester Plate in May but that form has subsequently been reversed.
Backed White Birch earlier in the week at 8... also backed it again at 40 for the arc.... 'over a cliff'....
In the St Leger I'll plump for Calmers but it must be a ppretty poor Leger for him to be 4/1 EDIT. Forget that. Didn't realise the ground was soft; and he hasn't run on it before
Glad that I was not at breakfast with Jason Weaver and Richard Hoiles as the commentator somehow came to the inexplicable conclusion that Torcello was going to make the running in the Chester 2.40 when Weaver could have just waited and read my analysis that Youthful King would set the pace. Unfortunately for me the stupid woman on my selection Artisan Dancer gave it absolutely no chance by sitting at the back and then deciding that she was going to make a late dash around the outside. Last year’s winner Spirit Mixer under last year’s winning jockey also sat off the pace but moved into a better position with three furlongs to go and then mowed down outsider Prydwen near the line. Favourite backers at least got a run for their money although why his jockey did not go for home early to try and stave off all the finishers only he will know. My Portland pick Addison Grey proved to be a bad gamble on a three year old for those that had piled on but at least the terrible odds saved me from losing with them; and Marvelman winning for Oisin Murphy was no surprise to me.
Well the jolly won but that did not look like a very good St Leger with the first six covered by a small blanket; and really was a slog in the straight. The Derby winner Lambourn ran out of steam in the final two furlongs and with two furlongs or so to go Carmers looked like he was going to pass Scandinavia and Lambourn but his run petered out. Scandinavia toughed it out with the winning post coming in time to save him from the not-so-fast finishing Rahiebb staying on up the rail after he had seen off stablemate Stay True. So will Scandinavia be a Cup horse next season or will he follow in the tracks of Jan Brueghel? Rahiebb should make a good four year old with not many miles on the clock and I expect that Stay True will end up being a stayer next year as he looks like he stays longer than the mother in law. What next for Lambourn? He was the one widely expected to stay but perhaps he did not. Will they send him to Longchamp or is it just going to be Minnie Hauk?
