Saturday's Meetings Punchestown Festival N/H 8 Races 2:35-6:40p.m. Goodwood Flat 8 Races 1:35-5:30p.m. Newmarket Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Thirsk Flat 7 Races 2:00-5:25p.m. Uttoxeter N/H 7 Races 2:10-5:40p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:15-8:20p.m. Hexham(E) N/H 7 Races 5:30-8:35p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
Must say that I’d be gobsmacked (if I was Northern I’d have said ‘I’d go to the foot of our stairs’) if FUSIL RAFFLES didn’t win the Grade 1 4YO Hurdle at Punchestown tomorrow (4.25). The son of Saint Des Saints was Awesome with a capital ‘A’ on his UK debut, for our beloved Lieutenant, as he impressively won a Grade 2 at Kempers Park. The old boy unfortunately sustained an injury that day that kept him out of both Cheltenham and Aintree but compensation awaits across the Irish Sea of the morrow. Fusil Raffles has the added advantage that most of his rivals arrive on the back of gruelling campaigns whereas he should be much more ‘fresh’. He looked very, very good at Kempers and I would expect a similar display at Punchestown.
Here’s a strange combo for the opener at hq joe fanning riding for Stoute in her majesty’s colours. Why fanning?
Yes strange one. Is it the weight? Moore, Doyle etc. are the usual suspects perhaps they can'd do 8-7 these days?
Morning Kentucky Derby tonight [11.50] Expect a big run from Tacitus Each Way @ 9-1 [Skybet]...5 places
Just the one bet in the 2000 guineas today: Madhmoon 15/2 each way 5 places Recent run under his belt should have brought him forward and i cant see him out the first 5 as long as he handles the track. Good luck all.
Last week I put up UAE JEWEL as a possible Derby winner. He runs today in the 4.45 at Newmarket. The 4th in the Wood Ditton won at Pontefract on Wednesday so the form of that race has a solid look about it. The negative surrounding today's race is that there are only 4 runners so there is the potential of a messy race. There is no doubt that UAE JEWEL will stay the trip so I hope that Egan doesn't stand for any nonsense.I have had 20 at 33/1 with Boyle sports in the hope of an impressive display. At the odds of 1/1 for today's race I will not be having a bet,but to support my bet I hope that Kick on runs well in the 2000 today.
4:25 Punchestown - Surin e/w (Classy, lightly-raced filly, could spring a minor surprise in this. Excellent young rider, stable very much in-form. 10/1 in five places at time of writing; will try to get at least near this price, although pays only for first two home!) Best of luck on a difficult day everyone! Non-runner!
On form there doesnt appear to be anything between a bunch of them this year so it looks likely to come down to who gets the best trip, they are also expecting rain and not many of them are proven on slop. I love Game Winner and think hes been crying out for the extra distance but he doesnt have much tactical speed and tends to get caught out wide as a result, he got away with it in the Juvenile but might not here. Improbable has a lot of ability, looking back at the Arkansas Derby, he took a lot of dirt and ran an absolute blinder, that should stand him in good stead here and no Omaha Beach to run down this time. He has the ability to make a big move and has shown he can handle the inside and still finish, I think hes the percentage call all things considered. Spinoff is worth a saver at 33/1, the trial he ran in has been underrated and hes still unexposed, he has a class pedigree and has won in the slop, he also starts well so should get across ok from the outside.
In the Palace House I thought Sergei Prokofiev was too short. His highlight last season was a third to Calyx in the Coventry but he seemed to fail to build on that with just a win as narrow favourite in a mediocre looking Cornwallis to show for his subsequent efforts. He won on seasonal debut but that was a weak looking Listed contest where he scrambled home by a head and a neck from two older horses who were conceding weight. Although he gets weight again today, this looks tougher and he's a bit shorter today than he was for the more moderate looking contest last time. I prefer Mabs Cross despite her Group 1 penalty. She was most progressive last season and won this race along the way. She kept vey strong company and met horses like Bluepoint and Bataash, who can be very hard to beat on their day. She wound up her season by winning the Prix L'abbaye and this race represents a drop in class from her usual fare. Could have done without the penalty but at 11/2 I felt she was a horse who peaked in her last race of the year and she still has possibilities for this year. Equilateral looked as if this drop to 5F would help but he has never quite confirmed his romp from last season, that seemed to mark him down as a serious sprinter and Charlie Hills has let me down far more often than he has filled my pockets. El Astronaute usually runs his race and he's smart but he's six now and just a shade short of the class required in my opinion. He may well place but at the odds I would rather just bet win only in this race and it was Mabs Cross who got my vote. 2.20 Newmarket Mabs Cross 11/2 Saturday punting is always tough and I prefer to concentrate on just a couple of races, rather than cover every TV race the way I did many moons ago. The race between UAE Jewel and Walkinthesand is interesting with the Wood Ditton throwing up a couple of winners since, while the Hannon horse ran close in the stronger race, The Fielden Stakes, where I had backed him and he failed by only a neck to beat Kick On when a 14/1 shot. He may be the value if the odds are tempting but I'll pass in this case with just 4 runners and the Varian colt a potential star. Good luck to all punting today.
Agree, Boris, wasn't too often I saw racing in the 'slop' when I lived in Canada, as usually in Alberta the short Summer was quite hot and nearly always very dry. 'Slop' is really something else, and only a few racehorses show good form on it and seem to like it too. Never touched a sloppy track ever, betting-wise! The weather can do strange things to sandy-loam top-soil dirt tracks, although I guess one wouldn't have thought so at first?
although the winner of the Guineas is still likely to be one of O'Brien's horses the two I like each way are ADVERTISE, whose only defeats have been to Calyx (form again boosted this week) and the horse that would have won this easily if he had been here - Too Darn Hot. I also think that ROYAL MARINE will come on for his Craven run, where he was very unlucky in running. However the ground is probably too firm for him to win.
G'day peeps Apart from telly picks, which I always do, I'm also on board the Fusil Raffles bandwagon, if it can be called that. He managed to win handsomely lto with me on board (not literally, just financially) and I feel he is destined for good things. I agree with Grendel re Mabs Cross - she will take some beating here. Frankie will give Coronet every chance in the Jockey Club and in the 2000 Guineas I'm going with Magna Grecia - seemingly AOB's second string, but a proven stayer with solid form, against the fav's likely stamina fail.
Over in France I never noticed Jalmoud was running. Not huge odds but at 11/8 I preferred him to Andre Fabre's Khagan. The latter horse was impressive enough on debut but the race has worked out poorly. The third from Jalmoud's Newmarket win has won since and the Charlie Appleby horse is well ahead of Fabre's horse on RPRs. 1.35 Longchamp Jalmoud 11/8
hello mates! uttoxeter,2 10: most of these are of rather modest ability,so not easy to pick one with a bit more of that,but a tentative choice here is SHARP GETAWAY,who showed quite a bit more last time out,and was interestingly quite well backed,so more was probably expected from him.this looks a very winnable race,so could easily go well.. punchestown,2 35: just on official ratings,josies orders should do these for breakfast,but it was a bit disappointing,he couldnt win here a few days ago.BLUE TEMPLAR though,must be high on confidence,after his win on tuesday.could well be the new kid on the block for the bolger academy..
Jalmoud prevailed in what looked a mediocre race. Very slowly run and a blanket would have covered the lot of them. Returned at 2.3/1, so better than the earlier odds. Favourite Khagan was niggled along from early in the race before staying on at one pace for third.
