Saturday's Meetings Curragh Flat 8 Races 1:05-5:10p.m. Newmarket Flat 7 Races 1:30-5:00p.m. Redcar Flat 8 Races 1:35-5:37p.m. Ascot Flat 6 Races 1:50-4:45p.m. Gowran Park N/H 7 Races 1:55-5:25p.m. Southwell(E) A/W 9 Races 4:05-8:15p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 9 Races 4:20-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
It's the Grade 2 PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park and I think Saint Roi is a very interesting contender at around 11/2 here. After winning a Grade 1 Novice Chase on Boxing Day 2022 his career took the path of many of his stablemates who are not quite top class - namely filling the minor placings in small field grade 1 contests behind the likes of El Fabiolo and Banbridge. At the beginning of this year they decided to try handicap chasing instead and he has done pretty well, especially with 5lb claimer Aiden Kelly. 6th in the Grand Annual, 2nd in the Red Rum Handicap Chase and 2nd in a listed chase at the Punchestown festival. After finishing down the field in the Galway Plate (possible non-stayer) he was turned out again just 4 days later and put up probably a career best effort to win off 156, jumping boldly in front and pulling out more when challenged after the last. Of the others, Conflated might need this first run of the season (5th of 5 in a Grade 3 first run last season), the top 2 have to give Saint Roi wight - last year's winner Saint Sam will be fit from his recent hurdles victory at Auteuil but hard to know what that form is worth whilst Ash Tree Meadow struggled to follow up his 2023 Galway Plate this year from a 15lbs higher mark and looks to have a bit to find with Saint Roi on ratings. The others don't look good enough on paper although Solness is still only 6 so may have improvement to come and looks the best of the rest. I think Saint Roi can give a very good account under Mark Walsh and 11/2 feels like a decent price for his chances.
First, just how well is Oisin Murphy riding.. an absolute proper jockey who could win on Steptoes nag. With that in mind, Madame de Sevigne (not very similar named mare contests the Arc on Sunday) 5.00 Newmarket... Billboard Star (drawn 7) really should win the Redcar Two Year Old Trophy in receipt of weight from other fancied horses, but do not write off An Outlaws Grace ( drawn 14 .. ran well at 6f on French Good to Soft / our soft in a G2 at Chantilly earlier) at around 23/1 on Betfair.... Redcar has favoured low numbers this season however.
Curragh 14,50 Von Krolock 14/1 e/w PP five places, 12/1 others 17,10 Martinelli 22/1 e/w sky six places, Lads and Coral five Gowran 17,25 Birdsandthebees 9/2 bet365, 7/2others
15:40 Gowran Park - Conflated Grade 2, Class-1, PWC Champion Chase Maybe the probable favourite, Saint Roi, is worth taking-on at this distance of 2m4f on good ground? The Yeats gelding (Damsire: Presenting) has previously won 3-times, and placed twice from 8-runs at this distance, Wears cheek-pieces as in previous races. Sam Ewing rides for the Gordon Elliott yard. 3/1 (Wm.Hill) best price early-doors, on te ATR site.
Another domestic Saturday blighted by the weather with soft ground at Ascot and pretty much soft ground at Newmarket. Despite the strong hand in the Sun Chariot (2:40) thanks to Inspiral and Nashwa, I do not see the prize going to John and Thady Gosden and I would rather go with David Menuisier’s Tamfana to reverse 1000 Guineas running with Elmalka. She has run consistently well since although she did not stay in the Grand Prix de Paris when I backed her. So to the Arc undercard at Longchamp... Nobody will be getting rich on Kyprios against four opponents in the Prix Du Cadran (1:33). However, the Prix Daniel Wildenstein, the Prix de Royallieu and the Prix Dollar all look a bit more open betting wise. Take the going report of “souple” (soft) with a pinch of salt. It will not even be “good to soft” in British terms. According to the Racing Post the ground has been drying out this week under sunny weather and France Galop have not been watering because they had too much rain in September. TurfTrax make the going ‘good’ or ‘good to soft’ on different parts of the course. They are racing on a new strip of turf that has been saved for this meeting by moving the rails out, so horses that must have it very soft are to be avoided. The Prix Daniel Wildenstein (3:25) looks a bit of a nightmare. Much of the form appears to be quite historic, for example last year’s Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi is the top rated runner in the field but has only won a Listed race and a Group 3 since and was last in the Prix Jacques le Marois. Babakool won an ordinary Listed race when last seen and that form will not be good enough here. Group 3 winner Ramadan was fifth in this year’s Poulains but was last in the Moulin over course and distance with Caramelito ahead in a respectable fourth. Charlie Hills raider Cicero’s Gift looks out of his depth here having won a handicap three starts back on soft ground and finishing fourth in a Group 3 when last seen at Haydock. Make Me King has graduated from a handicap win on the Newcastle kitty litter to winning the Group 3 Prix Quincey at Deauville and might be a more realistic win prospect for James Doyle. Henk Grewe sends two German raiders and the one with the most obvious chance is Penalty, a Group 2 winner at Baden-Baden in September. His other runner Glady Tiger won a minor race at Dusseldorf in August so I wonder if he is a pacemaker for the other runner. The favourite with the British bookies is Andre Fabre’s Alcantor. He was third in the Poulains but has not been seen since finishing sixth in the Prix Du Jockey Club in June. Sea The Stars filly Andromede won a Group 3 race at Deauville over nine furlongs last time beating Mountain Song but both of those need to find quite a bit to challenge on these terms. So in conclusion, I am going for a victory for Frankel’s son PENALTY, runner-up in the German Guineas and a recent winner at this level by more than three lengths. A win for him would be good news for followers of Fantastic Moon tomorrow as he was previously behind that one at Munich. The Prix de Royallieu (4:00), elevated to Group 1 status last year, has attracted a big field – at the time of writing the same size as the Arc field – with only three of them actually from France. Aidan O’Brien runs three with Ryan Moore on presumed first string Port Fairy, who won the Ribblesdale but blew out in both the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks. That hardly makes her appeal as a betting proposition while Christophe Soumillon gets the ride on Grateful, third at this trip in the Park Hill and Yutake Take rides course and distance Listed winner Lily Hart, who beat Moore on stablemate Mother Nature that day with Soumillon up. It is easy enough to look beyond all of the Irish challengers, including blinkered first time Thunder Roll, except for Lillie Langtry winner Term Of Endearment, who has not been seen since but beat River Of Stars, Caius Chorister and Grateful that day where favourite Free Wind ran abysmally. Caius Chorister was subsequently turned over in a Chester Listed race and River Of Stars was fourth in the Prix Gladiateur behind Arc contender Sevenna’s Knight. The two Juddmonte runners both look to be chasing place black type as Amneris has been beaten at a variety of distances in Listed races since winning her maiden and Ottery was a remote tenth in this event last year just in front on Thunder Roll. Mistral Star was fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks with Sea Theme fifth and Port Fairy seventh having made the running. If the extra two furlongs is to suit one of them, hold up horse Mistral Star seems the most likely. One Evening was second in the Park Hill last term, so this is not a new trip for her but her close third to Arc contender Aventure in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone (Ottery fifth) may not be as good as it looks with the winner having a little bit more in hand than the distances suggest. I have to confess I know nothing about the 50/1 outsider War Of Dance and have never heard of the trainer! Sir Mark Prescott’s Rouge Sellier has raced five times and won a novice on the Kempton kitty litter and her well-beaten second in a Galway Listed race last time gives her no chance today. The best chance of this prize staying at home is Mosaique, who won the Prix Minerve but followed that up with a disappointing eighth in the Prix Vermeille. The obvious concern with her is the wide draw. None of the three year olds make much appeal, so I think it is most likely that Henry de Bromhead will be completing a 2024 hat-trick with TERM OF ENDEARMENT under rising star Alexis Pouchin, hopefully a shrewd booking. Just seven facing the starter for the Prix Dollar (4:35) and only three of them French. The official ratings suggest a very close race with only 4lb covering the whole field. Outsider with the bookies is Andre Fabre’s Birr Castle, who last won a Listed race at this trip on heavy ground and was sixth behind Calif in the Group 3 Prix de la Coupe over this course and distance two starts back. Fabre’s other runner First Look was fourth in the Hampton Court but clearly his best piece of form was being runner-up in the Prix Du Jockey Club when a rank outsider, separating two Arc contenders that day. Subsequent efforts would suggest that form should not be taken at face value. Calif followed up that Group 3 win in June with victory in Munich beating Fantastic Moon in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, which earns him a penalty today. As well as the penalty the drying ground today has to be a worry. The four-pronged British raid looks to be where the winner will be found. Jayarebe won the Hampton Court and then chased home Economics in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano, where Almaqam was six lengths back third. The British bookies have lightly raced Anmaat favourite. He won this race two years ago, won the Prix d’Ispahan last term and won the Rose of Lancaster on his only start in 2024. He only just pipped Certain Lad in the latter of those and Owen Burrows gelding looks to be worth taking on. My Prospero won the Group 3 Winter Hill, just touching off Certain Lad, but his last two wins have been on soft ground. So I think My Prospero would be better value than Anmaat, however, I think that JAYAREBE has the best piece of form on offer here (Economics would be long odds on today) so I am going with the three year old.
Oh dear. Just couldn't keep up and ridden some way out. On that showing could have a long wait for that win
A good friend of ours who has several jockey friends, including Olivier Peslier and Christophe Soumillon was saying that Alexis Pouchin is the Tom Marquand of France. Also told me that André Fabre says the the new trip and the last 500 metres will be her (Mqse De Sevigne's) assets
Just got The Dragon King at 15-1 as I backed it at the off indeed just after the off (not intentionally). It was 7-1 I clicked then tried to boost and they gave me 15-1!
Great front running performance from Al Qareem. How to make sure you win if you have the best horse in the race. I do love the catch me if you can types
Would love to see Inspiral win but after the 1000 Gns I thought Tamfana would win a G1 and this could be it
Just noticed that I hadn't pressed the Post Reply on that post but anyway, she did it well and Inspiral ran well to finish second in her final race
5 non-runners now Swanny, including yours and mine. Just 3 go to post with Ash Tree Meadow now 4/7 fav. I guess due to the ground.
