What is going on at Ballydoyle? Yet again Moore has'picked' - if indeed the wrong one. It was suggested that Moore is told what to ride. O'Brien put his son on the Guineas winner - and now this! perhaps it is true. As for the race itself the winner has proved that he stays the Derby distance - and probably further. He took a long time to get the hang of things but when he did he put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Those behind might as well stay at home come Derby day.
How big a factor was the give in the ground? The winner now 2 from 2 with cut but what if Epsom is good to firm?
Future Investment didn’t seem to like Chester at all but still won, more kudos to the Bangkok/Telecaster formline.
No good so back to Chester it is, where I'm chucking a couple of quid on an ew double. Both ridden by Silvestre De Sousa and both 8/1 4 places with Bet365 4:35 - Kinks 5:05 - Dark Intention
Hard to say, his pedigree doesnt scream soft ground though his action says he wouldnt mind it. His dam is a half sister to Wonder of Wonders who won the Cheshire Oaks and her maiden on Gd To Firm before finishing second in the Oaks. Camelot romped the Derby on Gd To Firm and they always said he didnt like it too soft despite winning a weak Irish Derby on heavy. I wouldnt be too concerned about the ground for this one and Epsom will be watering if it looks like being anywhere near firm.
Surely Technician's run in the Chester Vase has put a major hole in Bangkok's form? Technician was only a length and a quarter behind Bangkok last time, while Sir Dragonet has beaten him by 14 and a half lengths today. On the form from Bangkok's win over Technician, the Balding horse would only have been 5th today. I actually tipped Sir Dragonet up on his debut and he was friendless out to 14/1. Little did I think that he would soon be Derby favourite. 5/1 does not appeal to me even with the impressive win. Those were a ragtag bunch in behind. I was concerned about King Ottokar because he ran very different races last season and Space Blues had let his form from this season down very badly with defeat at 1/3 Fav. The Dante will be a big factor and I am not a fan of the Chester Vase as a trial. 5/1 is way skinny for me for Sir Dragonet.
You talking about the same Irish Derby that imo finished the horse because of the performance he put up on that atrocious ground Was never the same horse after!
If the Irish Derby didnt, running in the Leger and heavy ground Arc after certainly did, underrated horse imo, going close to winning the UK triple crown in this day and age is unreal.
I don’t know whether this is just a major coincidence in the last 5 years the second placed horse in the Chester vase with the exception of Port Douglas have all gone on to be placed in the Derby. With Wings of Eagles obviously winning it. Howver I would have been fairly happy with Norway’s run today as you could tell he didn’t get to grips with the ground or the track. I know there maybe question marks over his handling of Epsom but the weather for the next few weeks down here is meant to be baking hot which will only go on his favour and will raise question marks over the winner. I reckon he could overturn the form with the winner too as a lot of Aidens horses do come on with a run too (the winner had his first race in April so had the benefit of a run) he was running on in the end too and the benefit of the run and the fast. ground predicted 25/1 ew could be a very decent ew bet!
We will find out at York just what the form is worth but in my humble opinion it is very dangerous to cling on to one piece of form, especially when the race is at Chester, when many others have franked the form already. Maybe Sir Dragonet has not beaten a lot today but regardless of what was in behind it was the single most impressive performance we have seen so far this flat season. Sure to be supplemented and will be clipped another point when he is!
Thought Sir Dragonet ran an eyecatching race today. At the back for a good part of the race then eased into the race by Donnacha who hardly moved a muscle on him. I don't think the colt was hit once with the whip
Call me mad if you will be Enyama looks a small EW bet in the next. Camelot has had a good start with his Southwell runners, the yard are in great form and this horse is very unexposed and could be in off a lenient mark.
Yes, whether Sir Dragonet wins or not is still open to personal choice but my main point is that Bangkok has not got a prayer if collateral form means anything and by the same dint Telecaster as well. Betting is all about value and other trials have still to be run. It doesn't seem so long ago that I mooted the opinion that an unraced horse coming into this season could win this year's Derby, because the field was weak looking. Plenty of people at the time replied that unraced at 2YO colts don't win Derby races. I'm here offering an honest opinion. It's a very tough game but I am just pointing out that a horse winning a maiden is not as big a positive in my opinion, as a runner up out with the washing in a better race next time is a negative.
You will find, if you look back, that I am in agreement with you on this. The stats are misleading and, if it is good enough as a 3yo, irrelevant. Especially when it looks to be a poor crop of 3yos from what we have seen so far. We may have seen the Oaks winner in the fillies trial today; she wasn't introduced to the track until mid August