Friday's Meetings Market Rasen N/H 7 Races 1:10-4:40p.m. Catterick Flat 8 Races 1:20-5:20p.m. Epsom Downs Flat 7 Races 2:00-5:40p.m. Tramore(E) N/H 7 Races 4:45-7:45p.m. Down Royal(E) Flat 7 Races 4:55-8:05p.m. Goodwood(E) Flat 7 Races 5:25-8:30p.m. Bath(E) Flat 7 Races 5:35-8:40p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:53-8:53p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Place a bet in the Virtual Betting shop here Good Luck
13:50 Catterick - Fossos (Good chance in this 5f sprint after not quite getting 6f at Thirsk LTO. Well-drawn in Stall 9, and should be suited by the good-to-firm ground. Duran Fentiman rides for North Yorkshire trainer Tim Easterby. 7/2 generally available at time of writing.)
All about Japan today, although I’ve had to have a saver on Pyledriver too. Oaks isn’t a betting race for me, got some money going onto the favourite but it isn’t a race that’s got me interested from a punting angle,
The money is for Zeyaadah, with Teona double her odds in some places. There is also support for Willow, who was more or less a no-hoper at one stage after two disappointing runs this season. Dubai Fountain is top rated on official figures but didn't really look an Oaks type last season. She seemed to stay well enough for a filly taking a big step up in trip when winning the Cheshire Oaks though. The trouble is that Zeyaadah is 3 lbs better off for a length defeat that day and, for me, Mark Johnston is a mystery as far as when his horses are going to run well or not. The Cheshire Oaks was run on softish ground and Dubai Fountain was quite a warm favourite, perhaps suggesting it wasn't a strong renewal. Zeyadaah has progressed well from race to race and that would suggest a form reversal is on the cards with Dubai Fountain. Teona and Noon Star (Misses the race with a blood disorder) both seemed to have their bubbles burst behind Snowfall in the Musidora. Teona made a good move that day but didn't seem to manage to finish her race properly that day. To some extent Snowfall seemed to pinch the race that day and she had looked exposed last season. Teona didn't seem to settle that day and she will need to relax better today. Overall I feel both fillies have enough question marks. A lot was expected of Santa Barbara in the 1000 Guineas, especially when she was a maiden winner stepping straight into a Classic. In the circumstances she performed well enough for one so inexperienced. Further progress seems inevitable and logically you would expect her to reverse form with Saffron Beach from the Guineas, given that she has a neck and a nose to find. I think both fillies have a little to prove still on the stamina front but I also believe Santa Barbara has a better chance of getting the trip. Santa Barbara is only tipped up once in the Oaks selections of the Racing Post, whereas eight tipsters nominate Zeyaadah. That seems strange to me because the Guineas 4th looks to have the most potential to progress by quite some margin. If she stays well, I could imagine Ryan coming there swinging and picking off the guaranteed stayers. This looks a weak Oaks and although the Guineas wasn't a vintage affair itself I think class may tell here. I have gone with Santa Barbara at 11/4 and despite reservations on Saffron Beach's stamina, I have done a reverse forecast in the hope that the Guineas was the best race to follow in a year where the longer trials were largely disappointing looking affairs. 4.30 Epsom Santa Barbara 11/4
Little double for me, Coronation Cup Japan Oaks Zeyaadah Almost 20/1. Good luck with yours. Have a good day
Market Rasen 1.40 Andapa Backed this horse last november when a good 2nd at Plumpton under Tom O'Brien who is back in the saddle today. On a career-low mark now and the run at Fontwell recently better than finishing position may suggest (leading for a long way until weakening at the end). Will be interesting to see if front running tactics will be tried again today. Could reach a place at least.
The Coronation Cup has been pencilled in as Al Aasy's ever since he trotted up last time with ridiculous ease. That was a Group 3 race though and I don't think there was much strength to the form. Logician was making a comeback after suffering a heavy defeat when 4th of 4 at odds of 1/3 Fav and was entitled to need that race. The Gosden grey was only third at 15/8 and it was left to Thunderous to chase home the Haggas runner. Mark Johnston's Thunderous had been poor first time out this season and was then beaten 4 and a half lengths behind Sir Ron Priestly, where Pyledriver was second. Sir Ron Priestly was then disappointing at York when favourite. I don't really rate Thunderous thus far and with Logician not firing, it might be that Al Aasy just had a relatively simple task on the day. At the odds, I thought he was worth opposing in a race where 3 lbs covers the first four on official ratings and just 1lb covers the 1st three. Japan has been generally considered to be "Back" after winning the Ormonde at Chester. He spent last season as a disappointment, unplaced each time he ran. In the Ormonde he beat Trueshan in a race that was more or less a match in the minds of most punters. Decent horse though Trueshan is, he is more or less a Cup type of horse who probably needs 14F and testing conditions to be at his best. Today is going to be a different task and I would want bigger than 3/1. Albaflora dotted up last time but that was on very testing ground where most of her main opponents flopped in the conditions, leaving a 50/1 shot to chase Beckett's easy winner home. That was PB for Albaflora but it rings alarm bells for me as being down to the conditions that day. I liked Pyledriver last season and he did me a good turn along the way. He was hampered in the Derby and then was badly placed by the trainer, who decided not to go Grand Prix De Paris and Arc De Triomphe when it was a free entry with a win in the former race. Instead he went for the Leger, didn't stay and was then bizarrely dropped more than half a mile for a 10F race at Ascot behind Addeybb. He was second to Sir Ron Priestly on his comeback, which suggests he has trained on from 3 to 4 and he is entitled to come on for that, Mogul is an old sparring partner of Pyledriver and he did better than his rival in the Derby, even though he was only 6th. He got back on track in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood in a race where English King was unmasked as not being as good as perhaps thought after disappointing as 5/4 Fav. Interestingly A; Aasy was last of the 6 runners that day. Well beaten by Pyledriver in the Voltigeur when favourite, I intitially felt that perhaps the Muir horse had shown him who was boss but Mogul went on to beat In Swoop in the Grand Prix De Paris and while he was a bit disappointing in the Breeders Cup, the fast track and firm ground would have been against him. He then went on to win the Hong Kong Vase nicely on Good ground. This season Mogul ran in Meydan and was perhaps surprisingly favourite when disappointing behind Mishriff. I can forgive a horse a poor outing at Meydan in the early season. On his next start he was 3rd in the Prix Ganay but that was a rare drop in trip for him, after running eight times at 12F and he was outpaced at one stage of race, ending up in 3rd. I think he should be ripe to run a good race and with so little in it on the ratings he appealed at 11/2. Pyledriver is still a potentially good sort and I have done a small reverse forecast with Mogul. 3.10 Epsom Mogul 11/2
there has been steady heavy rain in the Epsom area since 9am. wouldn't be surprised to see the going change to good to soft. certainly won't be good to firm!
I agree Al Aasy is a bit of an enigma. He looked so impressive last time but I agree the form, and the clock, are not what i would call pluses. The only times he has run in a race that was timed faster than standard he has struggled. He could be one who finds nothing off the bridle or he could be a super horse who has improved by leaps and bounds as a 4YO. I don't know why he didn't run in the Derby last year. Maybe he was considered too immature, not good enough, likely to be not suited by the track? He ran at Newmarket instead and got hammered 10½ by Mishriff over 10f on fast ground. He is entered in the Hardwicke at Ascot in and the Arc but, as yet, not the KG & QE which is likely to throw up our best hope of an Arc winner this year. I will be very interested to compare the times of the 12f races this weekend, in conjunction with the manner of victories, bearing in mind the 3yos will be carrying the same weights as their elders
still raining in the Epsom area - weather forecast was all wrong i can't decide which O'Brien horse will win the Oaks but think he could have a 1,2,3. will go for: 1. Santa Barbara 2. Divinely 3. Snowfall
Yes, The weather man was confident of a dry day in yesterday's forecast but today they are showing rain wafting over from France, despite the prediction that high pressure would keep it at bay.
with the rain I have backed the Beckett filly. Is very very underestimated against the boys, ground will be perfect for het
Ran very well, just edged out by winner who was also well-drawn alongside selection. Second, after yesterday's thirds, maybe I'm slowly getting there!
Tending to agree with the various gurus above who think that the Oaks is too much of an enigma, and that the Coronation Cup could be the thinking man's betting race of the day. I've thought for a long time that Mogul is - or promises to be - a genuine top-bracket Group One horse, but with a real question mark over his optimum trip: is he not quite quick enough at 10f, and not quite enough of a genuine stayer for 12f ? I thought he looked short of a gallop in the Ganay anyway, but I could be wrong about that. Whatever the answer to all that, I've taken the coward's way out and backed him in the three-places BF market (6 runners as I post) at an average of about 1.8 (4/5). There's quite a lot of support for Albaflora in that market, and Dynamo-99 clearly isn't alone in his view that rain will suit her. But on the evidence of the Woodcote, the ground looks about spot-on Good to me, and I wouldn't expect it to get significantly more testing in the next hour or so.
