Thursday's Meetings Newmarket (July) Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Carlisle Flat 7 Races 2:05-5:35p.m. Doncaster Flat 7 Races 2:15-5:45p.m. Dundalk A/W 7 Races 2:30-5:55p.m. Leopardstown(E) Flat 7 Races 5:40-8:55p.m. Newbury(E) Flat 7 Races 5:50-9:05p.m. Epsom Downs(E) Flat 6 Races 6:00-8:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
I guess everyone is still sobering up after drowning their sorrows or trying to wash the beer smell off if they were in Hyde Park... It could be a day to follow an owner at Newmarket: Khalid Abdullah I have to stick with my unlucky Royal Ascot horse First Eleven in the opening Bahrain Trophy; but the odds are a joke for a Group 3, so no bet. He went down in a three-way photo in the King George V handicap and needs to find a few pounds with several here. Giuseppe Garibaldi is the obvious one after defeat to his stablemate when favourite for a Group 2 last time. Difficult to fancy Wells Farhh Go on fast ground and Loxley could be the dark horse. ENCRYPTED can follow up his York win despite the six pound rise in the weights with Ryan Moore a notable booking by Hugo Palmer. Tribal Quest has not run since the Guineas meeting but the form of his win has been advertised by the runner-up Yafta, so he is most feared, ahead of Savalas, Staxton, Foxtrot Lady and Jawwaal (all beaten at York). Hopefully Hayley Turner will set the race up on Buridan. And Moore also gets the leg up on Mirage Dancer for his old guv'nor Sir Michael Stoute in the Princess Of Wales's Stakes. He disappointed in the Wolferton (Muntahaa ahead, Laraaib behind) but the step back up to twelve furlongs may be the key. Sadly, I cannot be very enthusiastic about Purser in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes trying to give away weight to two or three rivals that have as good a claim on form as him.
First Eleven and Giuseppe Garibaldi were both well beaten in the Bahrain Trophy as Wells Farhh Go suddenly found form making all. They all finished strung out like washing but I am not convinced that makes this great form with half the octet 16/1 or more in the market and filling four of the last five spaces. Advertise won the July Stakes relatively comfortably. Frankie never really had to get serious with him as the two leaders conspired to get in each other’s way and ran out of steam on the rise to the winning line while Martin Meade’s charge lengthened under hands and heels to collect by a couple of lengths. Could be worth following. When I did Foxtrot Lady at York, she never got involved. Today the winner that day Encrypted never got involved whilst Andrew Balding’s filly collected on the other side of the track. I really should give up on these sprint handicaps when there are more than a dozen as they always split in groups. Mirage Dancer got very warm before the big race, whilst a couple of his rivals also struggled to keep cool. A great effort trying to make all by Ryan on the runner-up but Best Solution picked him off. The theory about Abdullah’s chances at HQ has gone totally pear-shaped – watch Purser win the 4:45! Clearly there are plenty of mug punters in Ireland. Dundalk 3:05 – the winner Indianapolis 7/2, the second Would Be King 1/4f. The first two in a twelve horse race represented 102 per cent of the book so ten ran for the bookies. The book came to 131 per cent – no wonder the bookies love sand rats.
Now your wee diddy football tournament is over its good to see some activity on the racing boards. Welcome home
