Sunday's Meetings Salisbury Flat 9 Races 12:40-5:05p.m. Thirsk Flat 9 Races 12:50-5:20p.m. Windsor Flat 9 Races 1:00-5:30p.m. Curragh Flat 8 Races 2:00-5:55p.m. Downpatrick N/H 7 Races 2:20-5:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
Morning all, no posts yet, I'll get the ball rolling then. Really looking forward to see if EARTHLIGHT 7/4 can maintain his unbeaten run at 2.50 Deauville. He will more than likely be my main bet. On the same card at 1.35 the same applies to ZEYRELC Evs. At the Curragh another unbeaten fancy in STEEL BULL 3/1, 3.10. Looks a nice prospect and been supplemented for this. In the 3.40 really drawn to SPEAK IN COLOURS 9/2. The Fav will be hard to beat but this one is one of those horses for courses. 6 runs here 5 of which are over today's C/D and has either finished first or second. While I'm following horses with a lot of 1s beside them I hope MOTAKHAYYEL 11/4 can take the step up to pattern level in his stride at 3.25 Salisbury. Team Crisford can also have a good day and I quite like 3 of theirs in the following order, 4.55 Win LABEEBB, 4.10 Thirsk, OSTILLIO and 2.05 Win, STAR CACTUS.
One for the board .... Smokey 1.30 Windsor 7/1, 4th to Diligent Lady last time out, had wind pop since which could eek out some improvement, Jockey booking of Oisin Murphy is eye-catching also
Damn Sunday racing ... more opportunities to lose dosh! Trying to avoid handicaps but probably avoiding winners - here is my Sunday Order of Service: Sals 140 Happy Power 325 Duke Of Hazzard Cur 310 Laws Of Indices 340 Millisle plus ew saver on Gulliver Bless you my children and all of your selections
2.50 Deauville Space Blues was my pick at 11/2. Earthlight could be the special one but he won a weak race last time and it remains to be seen if he is at his prime this year. He didn't have much in hand of Golden Horde on their second meeting last year. Space Blues quickened well to win last time and that seemed a personal best. Every reason to believe he will run his race at a decent price. Lope Y Fernandez was not far behind Pinatubo last time but that was an odd looking affair where Alson was hopeless as 2nd Fav and the placed horses were 40/1 and 68/1. He is very weak in the betting and out to 10/1 this morning, 2.50 Deauville Space Blues 11/2
In the Phoenix Stakes Steel Bull and The Lir Jet head the betting. The Lir Jet had looked a 5F horse and lost narrowly when upped to 6F, with the winner re-opposing today. Steel Bull has looked very speedy as well and the question with the pair is the 6F here. Lucky Vega and Law Of Indices meet again, with the latter a shock winner by a tight margin last time. St Mark's Basilica looks Aidan's top contender based on jockey bookings but he seems to have a mighty task in a Group 1 after being beaten in a maiden last time. I had backed him in that maiden and he went off 6/4 Fav but he needed the experience. It would be typical if he went and landed this now. Overall, I felt it worth giving Steel Bull a chance to get the 6F. I think they will hold him up and deliver him late. I would rather have the speed, than go with Lucky Vega, who seemed tapped for toe before staying on late and not quite getting there last time. 3.10 Curragh Steel Bull 7/2 Perhaps a shade underrated here. In the sprint that follows Millisle is a bit short this time. I backed her last time and she ran out a ready winner but this looks a bit trickier. Speak In Colours is running well but I took a chance on Sonaiyla who won a handicap off 102 last time. Upped to 109 now the grey filly is improving and it looked last time that 7F was a bit far for her. Unexposed as a sprinter, she didn't seem to lack pace last time and her odds of 13/2 seemed worth chancing given that she is only 5 lbs behind Millisle on ratings and only has to concede 1 lb to the younger filly. Speak In Colours is 1 lb higher rated than Soaniyla on official figures but has to concede 8 lbs to her. Speculative bet but the 13/2 price reflects that. 3.40 Curragh Sonaiyla 13/2
15:25 Deauville - My Love's Passion e/w (Very consistent filly, not out of this listed stakes by any means. Maybe she can actually get her head in front this time!)
The 2.00 at the Curragh saw a gamble go astray on Iowa from the Aidan O'Brien yard. Only 6th on his debut he was touted as having plenty of improvement to come but having been 3/1 last night the plunge saw him right into Evens and that looked plenty skinny enough. In contrast the Barrier Trial winner Thunder Moon drifted out to 10/1 but he was the one who came there going best in the closing stages and once he squeezed his way through he quickened away in spectacular style. Quite an extravagant mover he seemed almost machine like in the way he left the others for dead. This looked well above average and I feel you would have to be giving the winner a rating in the 90's for this win. Colour Sergeant was rated 81 coming in and he's been beaten 3 and 3/4 lengths there. By Zoffany, Thunder Moon seems set for group company next time. Evens favourite Iowa was only 4th and beaten seven lengths, so not so much fingers burnt as hands, arms and shoulders cremated there. William Hill introduced Thunder Moon into the 2000 Guineas betting at 33/1 and he's a better bet at that than some of the no-hopers in the list.
Steel Bull found zero in the closing stages and it seemed more than just the 6th furlong that did him in. Probably back to 5F now but I'd be a bit wary after that. Lucky Vega hit a flat spot last time before running on for second place but he looked different today and absolutely thrashed his field. Not sure what the hell St Mark's Basilica was doing in that race, far less going off favourite at 7/2 after defeat in a maiden last time. Steel Bull was ominously weak out to 9/2 but it was revealed after the race that he banged his head in the stalls, broke two teeth and burst his lip, so maybe this run was not his true form.
Oh well, broken teeth in the previous race and a broken heart in the following one. Sonaiyla looked like she might hold on to win but Glen Sheil mowed her down in the last strides in a 4 way go. I thought Millisle was too short at Evens and she was never in it. Pleased with the selection's effort at 13/2, might have won it on another day.
Your selections did very well, Grendel, Steel Bull and Sonaiyla need to go in the notebook! My filly decided to take the day off, enough said!
Well done Grendel. I was on Space Blues when he won recently (no wonder he won that one ) Disappointed that Earthlight didn't win. Haven't seen the race but I assume there were no excuses
Earthlight had every chance but he didn't pick up and he didn't look as if further would have helped his cause. Space Blues was probably least imposing of those who fought out the finish and you wouldn't have thought he was the 4YO based on looks. This was the race:- Space Blues had to pick up sharply from where he was but he readily came between opponents and the jockey was able to drop his hands close home. Earthlight still managed to account for Golden Horde, for the third time. The Cox horse didn't quite seem to get the extra half furlong today. The Handicapper will probably raise Space Blues to 120 now but I would not be sure the race was as good as the ratings the Racing Post is churning out for it.
Congratulations to Aidan O'Brien on finally finding a maiden weak enough for So Wonderful to win. This was her fifteenth start and she managed to scramble home by a neck and win with a performance rated 77. Still on a ridiculous official rating of 102, she beat a horse rated 86 today and her loyal supporters must have been reaching for the Andrex in the closing stages. If the troops have been working the infamous Martingale System, their bets must have been up to colossal levels after 14 defeats. Every dog has their day they say and So Wonderful has finally repaid those who feel the best Ballydoyle horses get bullish names. I wonder when Notworthawank makes its debut
