Friday's Meetings Chepstow Flat 8 Races 1:20-5:15p.m. Carlisle Flat 6 Races 1:40-4:40p.m. Epsom Downs Flat 7 Races 2:00-5:40p.m. The Oaks Off @ 4:30p.m. Tramore(E) N/H 7 Races 5:20-8:20p.m. Down Royal(E) Flat 7 Races 5:30-8:30p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:45-8:50p.m. Stratford(E) N/H 6 Races 6:05-8:40p.m. Catterick(E) Flat 6 Races 6:25-9:00p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
In the Oaks at Epsom tomorrow will just have a very modest go on Dance Sequence, who is friendless in the betting. Prevailing ground conditions will suit her though, and, hopefully, will run well. William Buick on board for the Charlie Appleby yard. 20/1 top price at time of writing, on the ATR site. E/W best option, of course.
No idea on the Derby so I'm going for Voyage and Los Angeles in the hope that an unbeaten horse wins and maybe gives us something to look forward to in the Arc
Canadian to keep the day interesting as have no real fancies 2.00 Tanager - to follow Hugh Taylor 2.35 Orbaan 3.45 I still have faith 4.30 Forest Fairy 5.40 Hodler
Stratford 18,05 Padjoes Legacy 7/2 PP and betfair, 10/3 others Small bets 19,35 What A Glance 20/1 e/w WH three places, 14/1 others 20,05 Drakes Well 10/1 e/w WH and bet365 three places, 9/1 others
We were going to Saint Lo (only 20 mins away) on Friday (oh dear, that's today) to see the Olympic torch thing. Forgot all about it. Must have got my days mixed up
This century the Coronation Cup has followed a pattern of attracting small fields of horses kept in training after underachieving when the Classic generation. No change this term. Luxembourg was the supposed Ballydoyle wonder horse a couple of years back but that was not to be and he comes here today as second favourite to a mare, Emily Upjohn that lost The Oaks of that year. During the week, she was trading odds on but now perhaps punters have taken into account the relatively moderate form of the Gosden barn and want to take her on. Time Lock is here looking for black type unless she has improved dramatically for her reappearance in the Jockey Club Stakes and although the ground easing will help Hamish’s cause, he ought to find one or two of these too good at the ripe old age of eight. Pascal Bary’s French raider Feed The Flame won the Grand Prix de Paris last year to make that his third win from four starts but was turned over in the Prix Niel and has failed to win on three starts since, the best being third in the Prix Ganay. On available form, The Oaks does not look like a great renewal, but as we know it could look different by 4:35. It is very easy to draw a line through the five outsiders. It would be a dream for her owners if Making Dreams got anywhere near troubling the judge and War Chimes has been well beaten on two starts this term that give no indication she is up to this level. Caught U Looking was fourth in a Group 3 at Navan but will an extra two furlongs see her reverse form with the winner? Ralph Beckett could spring a surprise but two of his runners, Seaward and Treasure, were beaten in trials last time so it is difficult to see either of them reversing placings with their conquerors. One of those conquerors was another Beckett runner You Got To Me, who beat Rubies Are Red at Lingfield. The bookies prefer the Ballydoyle filly in the rematch but she is still a maiden and I would rather stick with the Beckett filly who is two from three. The other was Beckett’s fourth runner Forest Fairy, who won the Cheshire Oaks. It is not very often that someone has more runners in a Classic than Aidan O’Brien! The winner of the Navan race, Ezeliya, comes from a good family of the Aga Khan’s and the extra two furlongs today should be no problem so she has a live chance if improving from that effort. Secret Satire won the Musidora and that form has been made to look good by the runner up, although I wonder how good that race was with something amiss with the odds-on Gosden filly that finished last. Also, her two turf races that featured the word soft in the going both ended in defeat. It always used to be that the best Oaks trial was the 1000 Guineas and maybe it will prove so again this year. Two of today’s field were at HQ and my selection that day Dance Sequence never looked like challenging so I wonder if today they are just going to give it a try and see if she wants a trip. Four places ahead of her there was Ylang Ylang, not beaten very far and possibly not handling the track coming out of The Dip. Ignoring her flop in the Moyglare, she was an ordinary third in the Rockfel but won the Fillies’ Mile (Caught U Looking and Seaward behind), will definitely be better for the extra distance and comes here the top-rated runner. As the track is an unknown, I will just be watching her try to improve her fifty percent career record.
Going looks very sticky and judging from the first a bit false. New Charter's (favourite) run was horrible in the Woodcote. Immediately became the jam in a sandwich as she left the stalls. She thenlooked very uncomfortable coming down the hill.
Brilliant ride by Moore. Completely outrode Shoemark to kill off any chance Emily Upjohn had. What an effort by Hamish
Gina Andrews has a good book of rides at Stratford. Padjoes legacy is owned by my mate. He will benefit by the drop in trip and likes the ground. Mr Biggles beat us last year and shouldn’t be underestimated. Fairly famous should also go in . Peacocks secret is fancied to win for paddy Barlow who ridden for us a couple of times and claims 5lb Cheers.
OR small field with no pacemaker making it easy for him to lead at a crawl. Emily Upjohn nowhere near what she was last season either.
