Cracking shout with PRINCESS PERLITA Bob. We had the first and last between us! Chuffed to see TIGGY WIGGY do it so impressively today, surely the L'Abbaye beckons?!?!?
Fair enough Boris. I'm not usually as vocal about the flat but as Australia paid for my memorable (but yet hard to remember!) stag weekend at Epsom I'm understandably sweet on him. As I'd convinced pretty much everyone (most not racing fans) to pile on him on track I'm pretty grateful he didn't make me look a right tool! I'm not usually an O'Brien fanboy either, his interviews and the whole bigging up exercise, piss me off too but he's well on the way to being proved right about Aussie.
Cheers Stick and yes. L'Abbaye next i would have thought. Nothing will beat her with the weight for age and gender allowances unless the ground plays tricks again. Well done. I couldn't take the 2/1. Wish i had about 4 seconds after the break.
How things can change in the space of a couple of days. After Wednesday there was talk about what a terrific classic generation we had this year with three standout performers in Kingman, Australia and Taghrooda. Now the fallacy of that theory is starting to be unveiled. There looks to be no doubt that Kingman is a very good miler and will probably finish the season as champion and be rated in the high 120s or the 130s. The blot on his copy book was the 2000 Guineas – it must have been my ante post bet! Australia was rated 123 after winning the Derby and his penalty kick in the Irish Derby did not improve that. In winning the Juddmonte International he beat a 119 rated horse by a couple of lengths that will justify the handicapper raising that rating to perhaps 125. That does not make him the trainer’s best ever (yet) but is good. Taghrooda went into the Yorkshire Oaks unbeaten and rated 125 (the top-rated middle distance three year old in Europe) and it looked like a penalty kick but she missed. So is Tapestry to be elevated to 125 or more so we now have four in the club? I was disappointed for Taghrooda today but John Gosden and Paul Hanagan did not make excuses and just admitted that she was beaten by a better filly on the day. As Noel Murless once said, if you think that you have got two Derby horses in your yard, you probably have none at all. Have we really got four “greats” on the go this year?
I think the issue with the horses this year is that we will never get to find out how good they actually are. Kingman has and will continue to dominate a weak-ish mile division. Also, with his come-from-behind running tactics, he is never going to blow fields away by 10 lengths. I'll be amazed if Australia runs another race at a distance other than 1m2f. The only real creditable opposition he is likely to face will be Cirrus Des Aigles on champions day who, depending on how he recovers from his injury setback, may not be as good as he was.
I know the feeling beef, that was like New Approach for me, didnt shut up about the horse for about two weeks before the Derby, boring the ears off people who had no interest in the sport! Must have put half of Glasgow onto it and there was a cue coming into the bookies to collect as I was walking out back into the pub, one of the best day of my life, which is probably sad but im a fanatic. Was all in with 15 quid left for a few pints with my cousin, was grey turning in 4th last behind a wall! Never been so certain about anything in my life but looking back now I was still a bit naive and another day he might not have got the run up the inside, but the best horse won and cracking ride from Manning. Loved the fact that Bolger had the English press in uproar as well.
I think 8.20 Wolves York Express 15/2 is well worth an each way bet. I think York Express has some decent form in the book in better Maidens than this and should find this opportunity much easier. He should appreciate the step up to 7f for the first time tonight and he sports a first time visor which could eek out more improvement.
No excuses there. The best horse won fair and square. Cannot imagine there would be much time on here for excuses if Australia had been turned over yesterday. Slick of AOB to send over Tapestry to answer the Australia versus Taghrooda question for him.
Typical McCoy, can't do it the easy way. Arabic History looked cooked half a mile out but rather than just nurdle him home McCoy got to work on him, got him running, got the leader in his sights and absolutely flew up the home straight. Maginficent. Fastest ever century and a great springboard to try and get 300 winners this season. His discipline and appetite need no introduction, but simply amazing that after 19 consecutive jockey championships he still has the drive and appetite for every single winner. A TRUE LEGEND AND HERO.
He's not a half bad saddle monkey that AP fella is he?! Bet365 are doing a special bet on him to ride 300 winners this season. I had a dabble as he was on route to setting his quickest ton, which obviously he just has. I thought the price was a rick at the start- 5/1. Surely given the way he's started and the fact he usually clocks 270/280 easy enough 5/1 looks awfully generous to me. There still offering it there if anyone's interested. Gives some long term interest in the jumps and saves you punting on the midweek tripe. I think its pretty dam good value, I'd have had 300 or more around 5/2 based on his start.
That midweek tripe is my bread and butter beefy LOL Love reading the post race debates on here fellas and it is always a reminder to me that compared to many on here I know very little. Alright I can spot a handicap rick and read a bit of form but the depth of knowledge of some of the posters on here is sublime. This isn't me being modest, I know my attributes and value but when it comes to real "knowledge" I cant hold a candle to some on here. I hope you know what I mean and hope to see more in the future. The one thing we don't do enough of on here is post race analysis!
